Alice's Suspicions
by Skullets
Summary: 14 year old Alice Edgley has grown suspicious of her sister's life. Her magic enhances greatly, way faster than normal. A few collisions and casualties might erupt something.
1. itch for suspicion

_This is my new story, I got plenty of PM's. the character description for Alison comes from my Japanese pen pal, Gizmo pleasant. We that's his taken name… his description of Alison was: Alison likes to go by Ali. She's obsessed with Japanese mythology. Ali is a rebel, always skips class but manages to get good grades. Wears casual clothes (more on the guys side). She only will go outside if she wears something that has a skull on it._

_Boy, I wonder where he got the skull attire from? Could it just be that I told all my friends that I wear a skull bandana all the time? Hmm. And, I know this should be in the future but I'm really bad with that, so the future is based like 2012. K?_

**ALISON'S SUSPICIONS**

14 year old Alison Edgley looked so much like her sister, tall and slim. Her hair was black but glistened red unlike her sisters. Her sister visited often. Stephanie moved out, she's now 31 years old but looks 20 or so. Alison went by Ali and read manga, Japanese mythology and read her late uncle's books when she was alone. Since Alison was 12 she's been trying to find out what her sister actually does for a living. Stephanie never mentions her friends at all. Alison is searching deep now, so close now.

One morning 31 year old Stephanie picked up Alison from school after a fight. Instead of an SUV picking her up it was a 1950 Ford Coupe. Inside was Stephanie on the passenger side and a slim man at the wheel. She hopped in and Stephanie said nothing.

"Ali, what happened this time?"

"It's Joan's fault that she dumped dog crap on me!" Stephanie looked frustrated while the driver laughed when he wasn't supposed to because he got a good nudge.

"Who's this? One of your secret friends?" Alison asked, crossing her arms.

"Um, yeah it is, his name is uh, Sherman." Valkyrie lied.

"Sherman? Seriously Valkyrie?" the driver asked.

"Shut up!" Stephanie whispered loudly.

"Fine, I'll tell her then." the driver raised his voice a little bit, "Skulduggery Pleasant, Hi." His voice sounded happy.

"Huh, really? Last time I saw you, you had a mustache, different colored eyes an-" Alison was cut off by her sister.

"I don't think you guys met before." she said laughing.

"No I did, Beryl told me about you from like 17 years ago! And yet, sis, you haven't changed at all! You wanna tell me something?"

"It's my natural beauty…?" Stephanie said for the last time.

"Stop it. Ok? I'm not 7 anymore, you're hiding something. I know you are. You're friends, Vendetta, Tanith, Ghastly, Rife and Skulduggery have the weirdest names! isn't it weird that you were left with everything from Gordon? They never even found his killer. The disease breakout over a decade ago? You never got sick, the both of you! I have proof that you've been in more than two places at once!" Alison filled with rage and left the car than stomped inside.

"That could've gone better, Valkyrie." Skulduggery said, not starting his car.

"I know OK? She's only been skipping school to spy on me. And she still manages to get awesome grades. I don't know what to do." Valkyrie whined.

A scream came from inside. Valkyrie ran in, followed by Skulduggery to find Sanguine on in the wall, lodged. Alison stood a little bit away looking at her hands that held Valkyrie's old necromancer ring.

"Crap! What did I do?" Alison's face looked freaked out, "That blond hillbilly came from the wall and I held out my arms for protection than he just flew in the wall!"

"Where did you get that ring?" Valkyrie shrieked.

"You left it behind last time you came, I thought I looked cool so I wore it today!"

Valkyrie looked at the wall and Sanguine wasn't there, she found him right behind Skulduggery. Her hand splayed and Sanguine was thrown out the window. Skulduggery looked down to find Sanguine missing. The two glanced at each other and whispered.

"You have to tell her." Skulduggery insisted, Alison overheard and said, "Tell me what?"

Valkyrie sighed and said, "I know you've read Gordon's books, right? Well, all those monsters, wizards an' witches are real." Valkyrie snapped her fingers and a ball of fire appeared in her hand.

"Even the dirty bits?" She asked calmly.

"Um, no. Aren't you shocked or something?"

"No, not really. I read books like this all the time, why would I be freaked?… do you have a stupid name?"

"Let me explain everything. When I was 12, right after Gordon died. A dude came in and asking for a key than Skulduggery came in and threw fire at him, that's when I met him and I threatened to step on his hat if he didn't take me with him. I took the name 'Valkyrie Cain' so no one can control me. Since than I learned so much magic and learned secrets along the way", she glanced at Skuldugger and continued, "Edgley's are decadents of the ancients, I have killed gods. I use to cheat on my teleporter boyfriend with an obsessive vampire. I'm am a Sanctuary detective, I solve paranormal mysteries. My best friend, partner and boyfriend is a 400 year old skeleton." Valkyrie finished and Skulduggery tapped his collar bone making the skin flow away.

"Oh, crap! That is so cool!", She hugged Valkyrie, "I won't tell mom or dad either."

"Good, come with us. We're going to the Sanctuary, c'mon." Alison followed the two into the car and leisurely asked, "So, do I have magic?"

"Mm hmm, that ring that you wore to make that hillbilly go into the wall, that magic you used was necromancy, it control shadows."

"Do I get my own name?"

"It's recommended", Skulduggery said, "Names are power. We took names to protect our magic so no one can over throw us. So at the Sanctuary don't give your given name."

"How much names are their?"

"3. True names, those are the source to all magic, Given names, your enemies can control you if the know it, and taken names, they have to be true to you and represent yourself all while it protects both of your names."

"Cool, uh. Stephanie-"

"Call me Valkyrie whenever we're in the Sanctuary. Stephanie is for mortals."

"OK, Valkyrie how did you get your name?"

"Um, I was 12 and I was with Skulduggery who said something like 'you have a cain for things. Cain: meaning, like protégé, it was perfect and I think I read a mythology book that talks about Valkyrie. It's like a label err title."

Skullduggery took over the conversation, "It means: warrior women of Odin fight on the battle field and retrieve undead heroes. Or something like that."

"Skully!"

"What?" Valkyrie and Skulduggery laughed hard.

"Skully, taken name."

"Um, I don't think so." she snickered, "Try something from you Japanese books."

"OK, well there's Uwan, he scares people. Baku kills nightmares…"

"Not Baku, sounds to much like Batu." Her smile faded.

"Than there's Emera, monster of smoke. They travel through to smallest of places to find secrets."

"Bingo!" Valkyrie shouted.

"Sounds good, now the last name." Skulduggery added.

"Ooh, I want something dark, uh, Emera sins?"

"Oh, god not. I see you as Emera Riot."

Alison thought for a moment and had a crazy idea, "If it's my taken name, lets test it!"

"What?"

"Try to take control of me, like you said." Alison insisted.

"Oh, hell no. Skulduggery, would you?"

"Oh, fine. Um" his voice change to a fake ghost, "Alison Edgley, hit your sister."

Alison hit Valkyrie on the head, "Damn it! Skulduggery."

"Well, I chose something that Alison wouldn't do."

"Nice try, but it didn't work, I hit Val Kyrie 'cause I wanted too, thanks."

"Ok, let me try." Valkyrie said in a threatening voice, "Alison Edgley take my dagger and prick all of your fingers, now! Alison took the dagger and looked at it, not pricking her fingers

"Yeah! It works!" she said happily.

"Damn, I wanted her to do it." Valkyrie muttered.

They got to the Sanctuary and waltzed in. Valkyrie talked to the wax singer then the door opened. The Sanctuary was a maze of corridors and rooms. They passed Gaol and Alison peered in to find criminals doing nothing. Walked passed the Infirmary and Nye stepped out, making Alison squeal.

"Holy, crap! What is that?"

"Doctor Nye, best one around." Skulduggery joked.

They walked into a room with 3 people at chairs.

"Elder Bespoke", Valkyrie began, "Sanguine got into my house again with out notifying me, he almost got Emera, my little sister." the 3 elders peered down at Alison who waved in delight.

"Emera." Elder Ravel said, "Did you know about magic before?"

"Uh, sorta. I mean I was close until they saved me, why?" The three glanced at each other and Ravel nodded along with Madame Mist. Valkyrie knew what was going to happen and quickly said, "Don't suppress her OK? If she does than will find out more clues about my life an we'll have to go through this again. She has magic too, she used necromancy on Sanguine without even trying." Skulduggery was shocked and so was Alison.

Madame Mist began, "Fine, we won't suppress her. But you need to get her suited, she starts Monday."

"Thanks, bye." they walked out of the room and Alison pondered at the idea of suiting up.

"What am I 'suiting up' for?"

"Training. We're going to start you off with learning air manipulation, than fire, water and last earth."

"Oh, god I can't wait!"

_Yeah, first chapter done… one more story than I can apply myself for a beta reader! Sorry if the ending is bad, I can't sleep. It's like 6 am. But if you reading this now I posted this hours later…_


	2. suiting up

**SUITING UP**

GEPOV

"OK so um how is this going to work?" Alison asked.

"I guess when we have free time", Valkyrie said, "But first you need a reflection."

"What reflection?"

"It makes you be able to be in two places at once. The real you will be with us and the mirror you will be in school and stuff."

"That's how you do it, OK."

"I'll show how to use it…" Valkyrie thought for a moment, thinking back when she was 13, "Hey Skulduggery, remember the Torment? He tried to kill me and you has that crazy idea, fun times." she said sarcastically.

Skulduggery weekly laughed, "Those were the days, weren't the miss Cain?"

"Indeed they were, Mister Pleasant." Alison got annoyed and asked, "When can we go then?" Valkyrie glanced quickly at Skulduggery and started walking to the car and Ghastly, Tanith, Rife and Vendetta met along the way.

"He-", Tanith began but faltered. She started whispering to Valkyrie, "Who's this?"

"My sister, Alison. But she's taken Emera Riot. She got too curious, then Sanguine came in and 'poof' She's training now. Joy."

"We'll she start off like full time detective?" Rife asked, listening in.

"God, no. Student first, I think necromancy is her skill, you should've seen her with Sanguine. He was lodged into the wall. And then she'll start off as patrol than so on and so forth."

"Cool, OK." Vendetta said, "Who's going to teach her?"

"Are you busy? My hands are tied, plus I'm stronger in elemental." Vendetta's face looked like it was about to crack.

"Crap, I would love to!… Rife?" She said, glancing at Rife.

"It would be cool, I guess.", His voice lowered to an audible whisper, "But you're going to be training her, you know why." He shuffled away a tad because he blushed.

"Oh, god. You know no one cares that you can only lift no more than a pebble." Vendetta pointed out, regretting it. Everyone around the area snickered as quiet as possible. Rife glared at Vendetta who shamefully looked down. Rife scattered over to her and hugged her lightly than walked away.

"Is everyone I know dating?" Emera said loudly when they got outside.

"We're not.", Vendetta admitted, "In fact, he's gay. We're just best friends."

"Oh. Sorry. I-I didn't know." Emera said sadly.

"Eh, I didn't even know until 2 years ago. And we've been partners since a decade ago."

"Moving on…" Skulduggery said, trying to change the subject, "Lets go Valkyrie's house, I want you to meet someone."

Ghastly, Tanith, Vendetta and Rife stayed at the Sanctuary while the rest drove to Valkyrie's house. "I haven't been here since spring break." Alison said while the gates opened.

"Spring break?", Valkyrie asked, "I thought you were in animation camp?"

"Did I say that out loud?"

"Uh, huh. Spill it."

Emera sighed and said, "I did some searching in your house. Heh."

Skulduggery laughed as he opened the door.

"Dude, this place gives me the creeps. Just knowing that a person died gives me goose bumps." Valkyrie sighed and pulled the false book to reveal a hidden study, Emera peered inside. Not really impressed.

"So? I seen this place before."

"During animation camp?"

"Yep… Gordon?" Skulduggery glared at Alison, raising a brow through his façade. Gordon shuffled in delight when he heard Alison's voice but stopped when he saw who else was there.

"Gordon? Something you want to tell us?" Valkyrie asked.

"Erm, um. She came during spring break, when you guys were in Canada trying to find that assassin. She broke in and I got worried, I was more scared than her when she found me watching Wipe Out." All three of them glared at Alison who changed the subject, "My reflection?"

"Oh, right." Skulduggery said, pulling out a worn piece of chalk.

They walked to a bedroom with a full length mirror. Skulduggery recited the spell and Alison touched the surface to find a 3D image stepping out of the mirror.

"OK, when Skulduggery says, be brave. Trust him no matter how stupid her plan is. Our partner ship lead me actually dead more that 230 times, near-death is about at least 1000 and countless injuries." Fear ran through Alison's face and said, "Does it hurt? Like a lot?"

"Um, at first, yes than Nye comes in and makes it go away. After years of getting sprains, broken limbs, excreta. It doesn't really bother much anymore. Good thing that Serpine is dead, right?" Valkyrie said, glancing at Skulduggery who fixed his tie and said, "I never did like him, idiot."

Valkyrie and Emera laughed at Skulduggery.

A crash came from inside the house. Downstairs was Sanguine trying to find something.

"Where is she?", He demanded, "Emera, where are you?"

"Why do you want her?" Valkyrie asked.

Sanguine spotted Alison from behind her sister than he disappeared into to wall. He reappeared behind Alison and took her with him.

_Dun, Dun dah! Alright if your wondering how detective Rife Tenterhooks came into being? Well, I have a very over excitable friend, who's gay. And he moved from USA to start fresh because he was bullied and jumped for being what he is. Unfortunately he couldn't live here for long because his family couldn't afford it, so he's back in the USA. *sigh* so Rife is a dedication character to my friend. He popped up in my 1943 case story because of anti-bullying day. _

_~darkntwisted13_


	3. back from the comma

**BACK FROM THE COMMA**

GEPOV

Alison's body felt limp as she woke up in a dark room and a skylight that moon's light gives the room's it's features. Her arms and ankles her shackled to a wall. The chains were bound, even when Alison didn't know about magic she never felt this drained. A figure walked under the moon light. She was blond and limber.

"So, who are you?" The girl asked.

"Why?" Alison asked.

"You should fear me, I'm the Death Bringer." Melancholia said.

"OK? Hi…?" Alison didn't fear Melancholia and didn't know why.

"What's you're name." she demanded.

"Emera Riot, can I go now?"

Melancholia was confused, _Why doesn't Valkyrie's sister fear me?_ she thought. She got bored answering these questions, she walked up to Alison and the shadows slithered around Alison. They squeezed her tight and she screamed loudly. Just what Melancholia wanted.

"Why am I here? Where are we?" Alison asked with her head slumped forward.

"I need you to bring your sister and her partner here, the Necromancer Temple."

Alison said nothing for the rest of Melancholia's presence.

"Very well.", Melancholia left the room, "Just don't kill her. Not yet." She said to some one in the dark. The person stayed behind the shadows and played with his razor.

"Remember me?" He said his a Texan drawl.

"You sound familiar, I heard you don't have eyes, can I see?"

Billy-Ray took off his sunglasses for Alison to see she grimaced at the sight.

"Dude, how can you see?"

"Eh, I don't care.", He whipped his razor and held it against her cheek, "Do ya' wanna know why I love this razor?", the razor's blade pierced her skin and was driven from the cheekbone to the side of her chin, "Because it's impossible to get rid of the scar."

Alison squealed at the pain. It happened to fast to even register it. The blood drizzled down her face and dripped onto her tee-shirt. A fresh tear rolled down her cheek.

"Ma' work 'err is done." With a smile on his face the ground ate him and disappeared. Alison sobbed once he left for a few lonely hours.

GEPOV

Valkyrie lunged at the floor by it was too late, she landed hard on the wood.

"Dammit, Skulduggery we have to find her!" Valkyrie cried. She looked behind herself and found Skulduggery already starting the car.

"Where do you think we should go?" Skulduggery asked. His phone rang and Vallyrie picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Valkyrie, where's Skulduggery?" Ravel said.

"Driving, what is it?"

"It's Melancholia, she escaped!…hello?" Valkyrie hung up after the news.

"Well, what is it?" Skulduggery asked.

"It's Melancholia, she escaped." Skulduggery took an instant turn making Valkyrie hit her head.

"Nice job, honey." She said sarcastically.

"Sorry."

"Where are we going?"

"Necromancer temple."

"They moved to one far north, it'll be dawn once we get there." Valkyrie grimaced at a thought, "What are they doing to her?" Skulduggery glanced at her than held her hand for a moment than switched gears.

Like Valkyrie said, they arrived at the new temple at the crack of dawn. She ran out of the car and was greeted be Craven who asked a question but she didn't respond. Skulduggery followed behind her to the dungeon. Tenbrea harshly greeted her. They barged into a small room where her sister dangled helplessly.

"Oh, crap are you OK?" Valkyrie asked as she caressed Alison's bloody face.

"Not really. There was a blond chick and that eyeless cowboy, he cut my face."

_Melancholia and Sanguine. _thought Valkyrie, "Um, that scar, will never heal. You're gonna have it forever."

"What?" Alison freaked out, "Can you get these off of me?".

"Working in it." Skulduggery muttered, "These are really strong, the bound is amazing almost impossible."

Craven and Tenebrae walked in behind them. They both were furious.

"What are you doing here." Tenebrae demanded.

"Why is Melancholia here?" Valkyrie asked.

"She isn't here." He insisted.

"I beg to differ." Melancholia said from behind the corner.

"M-Melancholia, you're back." Craven stammered.

"Yes, I am." She whipped out tendrils of shadows at them. Valkyrie countered with a beam of fire. Skulduggery finally broke the chains off and Alison bolted for the door than followed by Skulduggery and Valkyrie.

Melancholia restrained Tenebrae and Craven, "They're not worth it." She said.

Skulduggery reached the Coupe and the doors clicked. He stomped on the pedal and the accelerator roared to life. Making a clean get away.

"Now what?", Alison asked, "Do I need to see that creepy thing err…"

"I don't think so, here." Valkyrie said as she handed Alison some tissues for her cut.

"Thanks, who were they?" Valkyrie and Skulduggery took turns describing the whole event over the years to Alison. It took them hours.

"Oh, my god, that's horrible." she responded.

_Bad ending… I know. I still have to write 2 more stories… it had to be done. Sorry! I HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO SPELL TENEBREA. So I did horrible spelling jobs…_


	4. magic

**MAGIC**

GEPOV

The crisp spring morning was cold to Alison in the Coupe.

"God, it's so cold in here. How are you guys not cold?" Alison asked.

"It's the clothes were wearing, we'll get Ghastly to make you some. Here." Valkyrie handed her coat to Alison who snuggled in the warmth until they got to the Sanctuary. Outside was Ghastly with his arms crossed.

"What were you three doing." Ghastly demanded.

"Alison was captured by Sanguine so we got her back from the Northern Necromancy Temple."

Ghastly's face lightened, "Oh, are you guys OK?" Alison stepped out from behind Valkyrie and showed her face.

"Oh, no. Lets get her to Nye." Alison's face grimaced at the thought of Nye. Nye was working on something when they walked in.

Ghastly cleared his throat to get Nye's attention, "Nye, have figured out how to get scars from Sanguine's razor yet?"

"Yes." Alison loosened up a little bit, "But the wound has to be at the most 1 hour old." Alison went rigid again.

"Can you at least look at her face?" Valkyrie asked.

"Yes, come here." Alison nervously walked to it and followed it to a table. It took some dirt and told Alison to hold it to her face. Skulduggery walked in and followed by Valkyrie.

"What does the dirt do?"

"It'll reduce the scar's appearance, but it's not going to fully disappear." Skulduggery answered.

Nye came back and handed Alison a small towel to take off the dirt.

"Thanks." Alison said. Nye nodded back and ushered them to leave.

"Is that normal? For it?" She wondered.

"Um, yeah. It is." Valkyrie couldn't believe her answer either.

Skulduggery checked his phone for a text, "I have to go, bye." He lightly pecked Valkyrie and hurried off.

"How long have you two been together?"

"Since I was 18 or so. Why?"

"Just curious."

"Hey, what's the worst or scariest dude you ever killed."

"A god."

"Oh, hell that is so awesome!"

"Hey, would you like to learn Elemental or Necromancy?"

"Uh, I think Necromancy."

"Perfect.", Valkyrie muttered, "When you use Necromancy you can only use it when you wear that ring, it's easy to learn and master, but-" Alison cut her off.

"Can I learn Adeptry, just one discipline?"

"Adeptry? Instead of elemental?"

"Yeah, please?" Alison begged.

"I guess so, what kind?"

"Shape shifting?" Valkyrie glared at Alison than have in.

"Fine! Vendetta might as well teach you then."

"Are you OK with that? I don't have to do."

"Lets get you basically trained in those 3 powers first than you can choose, OK?"

"Perfect."

A raven was flying above Alison than it landed on Valkyrie.

"Why is there a raven on you?"

"This raven is Vendetta." Valkyrie pointed out. The raven jumped up and quickly changed to Vendetta.

"Oh, god that is so cool."

"Hey, Vendetta? Can you teach Emera the basics of your adept discipline and Necromancy?"

Vendetta smiled wide and ushered Alison to follow. Rife randomly joined them along the way.

"Hey V." Rife called her.

"Hey, I'm going to teach Emera some moves, wanna' tag along?"

"sure."

They walked to an open field that had all 4 elements in one area.

"OK, for my shape shifting discipline, it took me years just change my face." Her face rippled to Rife's, "but Necromancy is easy, do you have the ring?"

Alison showed her hand, "Like this?"

Vendetta's face came back tomorrow, "Perfect OK. Look at your own shadow and focus and grabbing your arm."

"OK…?" Alison stared at her shadow for a while. She reached out her hand and "grabbed" her shadow's sleeve and tugged it. The shadow distorted and stretched out. "Like that?"

"perfect, try this." Vendetta whipped out a small tendril of shadows at Alison. Her arm was stretched out and stopped it. "that is so cool!"

"OK great. Shadows, when touching, create a bond, not a strong on, but a bond. Get it? Got it?…good."

"OK, elemental, air. Uh, see that leaf? Think of the air in between you two as connected. You're basically pushing one particle, that makes a chain reaction. Do you understand?" Alison nodded and her hand splayed. The leaf moved and lifted than shifted to the left than drifted back down.

"Cool!"

"It is, you got it. Bigger the object heavier it is… fire, right, uh, like a match to a stick, snap your fingers, try."

Alison vaguely understood what Vendetta talked about. She focused hard and snapped her fingers, but nothing happened.

"It's OK, you'll get it. Lets try water, I'm better with teaching it." Rife nodded in agreement. They walked over to a small pond.

"OK, water is a strong bond. You can pick up anything as long a it's supported by water. You half to influence it. That's all I got."

Alison spotted a pebble in the water. _water is a bond _thought Alison. She cocked her fingers and the pebble floated upwards to the surface.

"Awesome! Try this." Vendetta tossed water on Alison. All wet, Alison thought long and hard than cocked both of her hands and some of the water came off. Vendetta did the rest for her.

"I think you did enough for one day, just keep practicing."

"Will do." Alison ran tried to find Valkyrie. Ghastly was in the hall.

"Um, Elder Bespoke, where's my sister?"

"I believe quadrant 1d, by the ball room."

"Thanks dude!" She ran off and found Valkyrie sitting and texting on her phone.

"How was training?"

"It was cool, I decided on doing Elemental and Necromancy. I did water, air and stopped a shadow, it was so cool."

"That's good, you hungry?"

"Starving."

_Damn, I need to get better endings… _

_The end_

_~darkntwisted13_


	5. death bringer

**DEATH BRINGER**

GEPOV

Alison and Valkyrie went to a near by restaurant for some burgers.

"Damn, this is _so_ good." Alison said.

"I know, right?" Valkyrie laughed at Alison's stained face.

"I miss that."

"Miss what?"

"_That._ You being yourself, you weren't like that 7 years ago."

Valkyrie sighed and said, "I didn't know I changed.".

"It's OK, I guess… damn this is to die for."

"Speaking of which." Valkyrie pointed out as Skulduggery sat in beside them. Alison finished her burger, "So how did Melancholia escape?"

"Actually that's why I'm here.", Skulduggery said, "Nye said she came out of the coma, due a lack of morphine, and shadow walked. Apparently she could die any time now." Skulduggery stood up and walked over to his Coupe. Valkyrie left a tip and followed. Alison jogged up to them.

"So, now what are we going to do?" Alison asked.

"We're going to the Northern Necromancer Temple." Valkyrie said. Alison gave a loud sigh and hopped into the back. Valkyrie slept most of the way and Alison practiced her Necromancy. The drive was about four or five hours.

The Coupe pulled up on what looked like a driveway. Cleric Wreath greeted them at the front.

"Hello Valkyrie. How are y-" He faltered at the sight of Alison.

"Everything OK?" Skulduggery asked.

"Who's that?" Cleric asked as he pointed to Alison.

"My sister Emera. What is it?"

"N-Nothing. Your sister? Oh." His face started to trickle sweat.

"We're here to see Melancholia, where is she?" Valkyrie asked.

"I'm afraid you can't see her. She's not ready."

"Too bad." Valkyrie said and budged passed Wreath. She started to head course of where Alison was but she stopped dead in her tracks. Skulduggery and her sister ran up to her, inside was Melancholia laying practically lifeless in the bed.

"Are you awake?" Skulduggery gingerly asked.

Melancholia's eyes fluttered opened, "Hmm?"

Cleric ran down to them, furious, "You have to go _now_."

"No.", Valkyrie said, "As Sanctuary detectives we have the right to arrest her."

"What for? She hasn't hurt anybody in over a decade."

"Uh, let me think. She attacked me, Emera, Skulduggery, 300 other people and tried to kill three _billion_ people."

Wreath said nothing and turned his attention to Melancholia.

"Why did you hire Sanguine to capture Emera." Skulduggery ordered.

She gave a weak sinister laugh and said, "Haven't you heard?" That's all she said than her head sank back into the pillow. Wreath ran over and tried to check her pulse.

"There's no pulse." He said.

"You're not doing it right." Valkyrie pointed out.

"Than how do you do it?" Valkyrie sighed and checked Melancholia's wrist and neck, just in case. There really was no pulse. Valkyrie stepped out and joined Skulduggery's side. Wreath sighed and pointed towards the exit. Alison left first and hopped into the back of the car.

"What do you think she meant?" Alison wondered.

"Probably something big." Skulduggery answered.

"Huh.". After being at the Temple for a few minutes the Coupe started up and they drove back for another four or five hours. They parked near the front of the Sanctuary, Vendetta and Rife were patrolling.

"Are you two patrolling because of Melancholia?" Alison asked.

"Yeah, it's sorta' cold out. By the way, Ghastly finished your clothes." Vendetta hugged herself to emphasize her point. Valkyrie joined behind Alison and Skulduggery followed.

"Melancholia died, we saw her." Valkyrie added.

"Oh, god. Really?" Alison nodded.

"Before she died Melancholia said 'Haven't you heard', what the hell does she mean?" Skulduggery pondered.

Alison thought for a moment than had a crazy idea, "Wouldn't it be weird if I was the Death Bringer?"

Valkyrie and Vendetta glared at Alison. _Is she the Death Bringer? _they all thought.

_I got a review-tip thingy. From Sky667 it was about Alison having magic, don't worry this isn't bad, this A/N is sort of why I gave Alison magic. And my original Fanfic was to have her not being able to have magic, I thought about it for a long time. I agree with you, Sky667, that Alison shouldn't have magic. But my friends __**insisted**__ I do it. Plus, the customer is always (not really) right. I'm sorry._


	6. stressed out

_It's 10 am when it feels like 6 am I have a big 5 year old chocolate lab laying on my lap and I'm using him as a table. Ha! Nothing but snow here. Talk about from coast to coast._

GEPOV

"Is it even possible? The last known, or believed Death Bringer was Melancholia." Vendetta countered.

"Yes, but Valkyrie was believed to be one." Skulduggery said.

"But she wasn't, right?" Alison asked.

"_I _wasn't, but you might. Lets just hope you're not."

Alison gave a half laugh than said, "Yeah, me too. I really have no intention on killing three _billion _people just so the other half will live.". she tried to shrug off the thought but couldn't, "Is that why they took me? To, like, train me?"

"Looks like it." Skulduggery said.

"C-can we go inside? I'm freezing my ass off now." Vendetta shuffled in and snapped her fingers, making a small flame.

"What were you expecting? You only wear jackets when we're fighting." Valkyrie slightly snapped.

"Mrowr." Tanith clawed to make her point, "What happened to you guys? Aren't supposed to be patrolling?" Rife nodded and didn't say a word from the cold.

"Melancholia died." Skulduggery said.

Ghastly lightly ran when he heard what Skulduggery said, "She's dead?" he huffed, "Right, Emera, here." He tossed her a paper wrapped box tied with red twine.

"Thanks, I'll be right back." Alison rounded a few corners to find the washroom to change. The jacket draped around mid-thigh with a renegade feeling to the look. The sleeveless tunic was a zip-up turtle neck. Her pants were extremely tight yet comfortable. Her shoes were black canvas high-tops with the waffle tread. Unlike her sister's, she had fingerless gloves. Like always everything Ghastly made fit perfectly. Alison put her old clothes in the box and carried it back with her.

"Well?" She asked.

"I know I'm awesome." Ghastly said, bemused with himself.

"God, Skulduggery's ego is contagious!" Tanith joked, "But you do look good."

"What sad is that when I give Vendetta her clothes she finds a way of purposely ripping them." He glared at Vendetta who scratched behind her head to look innocent.

"Yeah, but they still work!" She countered, "Besides clothes were meant to be ripped. It happens all the time."

"Yes it does. But it's basically impossible to tear my fabric!" Ghastly snapped.

"Can we get back to business?" Skulduggery suggested. Ravel overheard and joined them.

"What business?" He asked. Valkyrie glanced at everyone and gave a slight nod.

"Melancholia's dead and we think my sister is the next Death Bringer."

"Oh dear god. Really? That's both good and bad… Emera, I don't believe I properly introduced myself." He held out his hand and Alison shook it.

"Um… Hi…?" She awkwardly said.

"Hello." He said with a creepy smile. Her hand broke from his and she plunged it in her pocket, "Right, so what are we going to do?" he asked.

"Actually we don't need your help. Sorry." Valkyrie answered. Ravel sighed and walked away.

"Thank you." Skulduggery sighed with relief. Vendetta laughed in agreement.

"Great, now that's done we have a bigger matter at our hands."

"How do we really know that that I'm the Death Bringer?" Alison asked with a panic in her tone.

"I don't know. Skulduggery?" Valkyrie glanced at him.

"Hmm? Oh, I don't know either." He answered.

"There is always the possibility of suppre-" Ghastly suggested.

"Don't say suppress, OK? She's too damn curious!" Valkyrie snapped.

"Are you OK? Why do you always get work worked up about being suppressed?"

Valkyrie calmed down and sighed, "I don't know. I had a few close calls to getting it, I guess." Tanith and Alison felt sympathy while the others turned their backs and pretended not to listen due to the awkwardness.

Another beat passed and the subject changed.

"So we have new plans, right?" Tanith asked.

"No, not yet." Ghastly admitted.

"Gasp! No plans?" Vendetta sarcastically said.

"Maybe I _am_ contagious?" Skulduggery thought randomly. Alison couldn't help but smirk with a barely audible snicker.

"OK, so what are we going to do in the meantime?" Vendetta asked.

"I guess training Alison." Tanith said, looking mischievous.

"What kind?" Alison curiosly asked.

"Combat?" Skulduggery suggested.

"Than who's going to teach me then?"

"I had three." Valkyrie added, "I don't know if I can teach but I know for surely you can..." She weekly pointed to almost everybody and continued, "I'm somewhat expecting Vendetta and Rife to teach her." Drawing her voice to the two, "Rife, you can solve anything like mad and Vendetta, I don't think I've seen someone throw so much shadows at once. You two are perfect." Skulduggery loudly cleared his throat to catch her attention, "Safely, not insanely." She ended.

"That's a good idea, I think. Rife?" Vendetta's head turned to face him.

"Oh, yeah. Sure." Rife plunged his hands in his overcoat and said, "But, why not you two?"

"Skulduggery and I have some dirt to dig, Ghastly and Tanith are doing God knows what, and you might not have the right training for being a field agent, this'll be good for you. Trust me." Valkyrie glared at Ghastly and Tanith who scurry off to do something, "All right since that's all settled, shall we?"

"I think we shall" Skulduggery started flinging his keys around his gloved finger and they rounded a corner and left.

"It's like nine and I am so bushed, can we do nothing physical?" Alison begged.

"Sure, I'm lazy today." She turned her attention to Rife, "Can we use your office? I like sitting in that comfy swivel chair of yours, plus you have all those books an' stuff."

"OK, yeah." They didn't have to walk far to his office. Inside was a metal desk with a desktop on one side and a globe at the other. At the back there was shelves of heavy books and maps.

"Nice den." Alison said as she dragged a pull-out chair from the side and Vendetta took his swivel chair, Rife dragged a different swivel chair and rolled to the desk.

"OK, what first? I have books on Necromancy, Elemental, detective work or…"

"Japanese mythology?" Alison joked. Rife shrugged and splayed his hands and made the book vaguely land on the desk.

"Just need some more practice." Vendetta muttered. Alison raised a brow and looked at him, "I didn't mean it"

"Oh, well. If you're ever looking for it, find me." He started reaching for the book but she grabbed it before him, "No, actually can I borrow this?"

"Yeah, sure. OK, how 'bout books on the names? It might help you understand more on how to do magic."

"Cool, OK." She yawned and started flipping through pages till she got to the True Name chapter.

"It says here that, like, our True names are ancient Latin names and is our source to all magic. It also says that anyone can overthrow you if they know it. What happens if I discover my True name?"

"First of all you'd have insane powers and you might want to seal it too."

"How do you do that?"

"You need symbols engraved into your heart." Vendetta shivered at the thought of Nye, "You would have Nye do that for you…"

"That thing? Do you know anyone who did that?"

"Your sister, actually. I believe she was 16, right Rife" He nodded back, "This was when Professor Kenspeckle Grouse was alive, Skulduggery hated the fact that she did it on Christmas day and never told him until a few days later. I think that she was cheating on her teleporterer boyfriend with and obsessive vampire. That time I was traveling in Nova Scotia, Canada."

"Fletcher? My Gordon told me about him. I wonder where he is."

"I don't know. Rife?"

"Last time I heard from him he was caught stealing some rainbow dust from the Australian Sanctuary."

"Idiot. Like thirteen years ago he tried to get Valkyrie to love him again when she just told Skulduggery that she loves him and he did the same. Fletcher flashed Valkyrie to Australia in a beach shack and kissed her, it broke her heart so much and it broke his heart as well. Ever since I don't believe I've seen him since. Have you, Rife?" He glanced away from a map and answered, "I think in the paper for doing something illegal, but that's it. I never actually met him. Did you know he's the last Teleporterd alive?"

"I've seen his picture before, his hair defies all laws." Rife and Vendetta laughed in agreement than things went silent.

"Hey, Rife. Remember the '93 case? You tracked me down and almost got me killed by Skulduggery?"

"Good times. It's how I met them than I met you. Oh, hey. The Sanctuary dance that year?"

"God, don't remind me! I almost killed you!" They started laughing and Alison was extremely confused.

"What the hell? You guys think that's funny?"

"Almost as funny as torture." Vendetta joked, "I remember Donny Dulcifer, worst thing he did to me was gassing me. All I can say is that my fingers snapped and I almost blew up." She wiped a tear from her eye. "How _did_ you get that nasty cut?"

"Sanguine, Temple, Melancholia, razor blade. The usual." Alison joked. "OK, you two are awesome, I think we'e going to make good friends."

"What about Skulduggery and the others?" Rife asked.

"Skulduggery, too intense. Ghaslty, too quiet. Tanith, too crazy. And my sister is treats me like I'm little. What I like about you two is that you're both single and we'll have more time to hang and whatnot. You know what I mean?"

"I guess so, never noticed that. Huh." Vendetta glanced at Rife and checked his clock, "Wow, time goes by fast, it's quittin' time. Rife can you drive me?"

"Yes." He started putting papers away into his satchel, "I'll get the car running in five minutes, go nuts." Rife walked out of his office and handed Alison the book and cornered left.

"Are Skulduggery and Valkyrie still out?" Vendetta asks.

"I haven't seen them. I'll hitch a ride with Tanith." Vendetta waved good-bye and walked the direction of Rife's car. Tanith joined Alison's side.

"From what I hear you need a helmet." She said, more of a hint than a question.

"Yeah, can I borrow one?"

"I have and extra one, C'mon." Tanith began walking and Alison hopped on the bike and reached for a helmet and strapped it on. Tanith revved her bike and swerved down the roads and dropped off Alison at her home.

Alison found her reflection in doing some homework quietly.

"Hi." it greeted and stepped into the mirror and Alison tapped the surface. It got into another fight and is now grounded for a few days.

"OK, since you are Alison Edgely, I need you to slowly become a better person and make mom and dad happy, K?"

"Yeah, sure OK. By the way, Andrew Sims asked you to the Valentine dance."

"What did you say? Valentines day isn't till next month."

"I said no and whipped that dog crap in his face. That's how that fight happened." It was exactly like Alison but it look so innocent.

"Good girl. When people ask about the scar, just say that I got into a biking accident, OK?" it nodded back and said, "You did get a B in science today."

"Good. I'm going to bed, don't make a sound." Alison changed and slipped under the covers and slept instantly.

"Do you think Alison got a ride home?" Valkyrie asked, checking the time.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she got a ride with Tanith or something."

"Something?"

"Nye could've, just saying." He dropped off Valkyrie at her house and went home himself. Gordon was standing in the middle of the hallway when the door opened.

"How was your _long_ day?" he asked.

"We did a five hour drive to the temple for asking questions. Then Melancholia died so we had to drive another five hours back." Valkyrie said while she flung her jacket and boots on the ground.

"She died?" Gordon frowned.

"Yes, her body couldn't handle it, she needed the meds to live or something."

"What did you three ask her?"

"We asked why she captured Alison and she replied 'didn't you know' than she died." Valkyrie poured some coffee and gulped it down.

"Please don't tell me what we're all think." He pleaded.

"What? She the next Death Bringer?" She snapped.

"I hope we're wrong. Imagine what the Necromancers would do." Gordon went rigid and watched Valkyrie slam the mug on the table, "You OK? You seem extremely grumpy tonight."

Valkyrie sighed, "I'm sorry, I've been stressed out these last couple of days. I mean Alison knows what I do then she gets captured, tortured, cut by Sangiune, she has magic and she's good for her experience and now there's a possibility of her being the Death Bringer! Even when we were saving the world we had, like, a week to do it!" She slumped into the couch and Gordon sat down beside her.

"It's alright.", he cooed, "She's an Edgley, she'll do something wonderful. I know it."

She swung her head to him and said, "Look what happened to you?"

"Yes, but, I wrote horror fantasies and still do."

"Right." Valkyrie dragged the word, "I'm going to sleep, g'night!" She called back.

"Bye." The blue light dimmed to nothing and left her in the dark.

"Peachy." She muttered. Valkyrie climbed the three flights and fell under the sheets and basically fainted from exhaustion.

_Bad ending (as usual). Anyways, if you hadn't read my first fanfic you probably have no clue on who Donny or what happened at the dance, that's why I didn't fill in every detail plus it might be a give away. I have a new 4__th__ cousin name Emrys, the name I thought was good. Turns out that Emrys is Merlin's real name, maybe I'll create a new one-time character for it and using it as a first name, leave me details!_


	7. Trouble at the Temple

**TROUBLE AT THE TEMPLE**

GEPOV

Alison was woken in the middle of the night by a rapping her window. She looked closer to find a hand making the sound. Alison walked closer to find her sister managing her balance.

"What is it?" She asked.

'Skulduggery and your sister need your help." Valkyrie almost fell.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I'm her reflection, c'mon!" The reflection jumped off and did a grunt when it landed.

"How did you get up here?" Alison dangled from the gutter and let go.

"I climbed up, though you'll learn to manipulate the air to propel yourself." It smiled and hopped on a motorbike and shimmied her helmet on.

"Where did you get this?" Alison shrieked and slipped her helmet on and hugged the reflection.

"I borrowed it from Tanith. It's her spare bike. Hold on." Alison obeyed and the bike revved. They hit a red light and the conversation continued.

"Why do they need me?" Alison shouted over the engine.

"Trouble at the Temple. It'll take us three hours!"

"Doesn't it take, like, five hours?"

"Not on this!" The light turned green and they got to the Temple in three hours and thirty-two minutes time.

Valkyrie was woken by another tapping at the window, thinking it was Skulduggery. The window opened and she was whipped onto the ground. Valkyrie let out a moan through her teeth. The figure landed right by her side.

"What do you want." She demanded and dragged herself up.

"Your sister." Is all he said. He held her and they shadow walked inside the temple. The room was decorated with a gothic attire with deep reds and purples, it was also bound.

"Wreath? Is that you?" Valkyrie asked.

"Yes it is Valkyrie. Where is your sister?"

"Why am I here." She demanded.

"Where is your sister?" He repeated.

"Where's Skulduggery?"

"Somewhere." He smiled and walked out. Valkyrie texted her reflection to bring Alison; she had a plan. Cleric came back, this time with the unconscious skeleton detective falling beside her.

"What the hell?" Valkyrie yelled, "What did you do to him?" Cleric smiled like before and walked out.

Minutes before Wreath came Skulduggery was reading a book. Cleric silently appeared behind him and shot shadows at Skulduggery. The shadows wrapped around his neck and he thrashed until he fainted.

"Huh, didn't actually think that would work." Wreath said to himself, "You can actually choke a skeleton." Cleric laughed briefly and shadow walked.

"Skulduggery?" Valkyrie shook him, "You OK?" He cleared his virtual throat and stood up, "What happened?" She asked.

"I think he choked me." Skulduggery answered and rubbed his neck.

"How is that even possible? You're dead."

"Workings of magic I assume." He fixed his hat and tried the door which was locked.

"We're bound too." Valkyrie added.

"Damn." he sighed, "What do they want?"

"Emera. I have a plan though." She smiled and sat down on a chairs arm.

"What is it?" He asked with a smile to his tone.

"Be brave." Was all she said as a good hint, "Hold on." She took out her phone and texted some one.

"Who did you text?" He asked.

"Step away from the mirror." Skulduggery stepped aside and

Alison's reflection appeared.

"How did you do that without chalk?" He wondered.

"I've been in here before." She smiled, "Though, I never did do the spell to the mirror, someone else did."

"Could Melancholia have done it when she attacked?" Alison's reflection suggested as it squirmed out "When you thought you killed her?"

"Another mystery solved." Skulduggery said, "I think I know what you're getting at."

"Good." She turned to the reflection, "Stay in the mirror and wait till my sister gets here. OK?" it nodded.

Alison got off and Stephanie drove away. She got to the door and Cleric answered.

"Hello, dear." He greeted, "Come with me." He opened his arms for her to follow.

"No thank you." She started walking and played with shadows when he didn't see her.

"Listen. Come with me." He snapped and she flung the shadows at him. Alison ran at the first chance she got.

"Skulduggery? Valkyrie?" Alison called and tried doors in that hall

"Do you hear that?" Valkyrie asked, "I think it's Emera."

They heard it again, "Guys? Where are you?" She called.

"Over here!" Valkyrie called back.

Alison heard her sister and ran to the door and opened it. Skulduggery got out first and snapped his fingers to summon a flame.

"Get in." Valkyrie said as the reflection stepped out, "I have a plan." Alison obeyed and hid inside. The reflection took her spot and they closed the door most of the way.

"Guards!" Wreath called and they cornered the three, "Give me your sister." he demanded. Skulduggery glanced at Valkyrie and she gave Alison to him.

"I'm sorry." Valkyrie called to make a show.

"Whatever." she said sadly. Alison turned to Wreath, "What are you going to do to me?"

"Train you, my dear." He smiled and walked with the reflection who turned and winked.

"Does it know the plan?" Alison asked behind the door.

"It does." Skulduggery said and ushered her out.

"Good, I have no clue what it is." Alison brushed off his arm and got out.

"When she gets to her room or when they find she can't to magic she'll come back." Skulduggery explained.

"Ah. OK." She smiled and hopped in the Coupe.

"What's the time Skulduggery?" Valkyrie asked and closed the car door.

"It's four twenty-six?" Skulduggery put the keys in the ignition and they drove home.


	8. back to normal

_I haven't even hit ten chapters since it's been up. As the I reach the season finale I've started rotating around it and I'm sorry, forgive me! By the way I need a new guy character, please give me ideas__! and I use Celsius degrees_

**BACK TO NORMAL**

GEPOV

Skulduggery parked the Coupe and Alison opened the door first. Gordon was watching some T.V.

"Hey, Gord." Alison called, "'Sup?"

"Good, I guess." Valkyrie closed the door and a _beep _went off.

"It'll be here in a few seconds." Valkyrie said and headed for the stairs.

"Who's coming?" Gordon asked.

"My reflection." Alison replied from the second set of stairs. The reflection was already there when they found it.

"Would you like to resume?" It replayed. She touched the surface and the last few hours if memory flowed into her.

"Well?" Valkyrie asked.

"They were just talking about rules and expectations for living in the temple." a beat passed and Alison frowned, "They wanted me- it to perform what it knows on Necromancy, but it can't so it ran to that room and locked it's self, than it called."

"Having to do with being the Death Bringer?" Gordon guessed from the doorway.

"No, not that I know of." She looked her 3D reflection and felt shivers, "Can you, like, go away? You're creeping me out." it shrugged and went back to being an image, "Now what?"

"I guess we'll leave it behind us." Valkyrie said, "Any other ideas?"

"Nothing I can think of, Alison?"

"No." She answered.

"Alright, it's unanimous." Valkyrie headed for the door, "Bye Gordon." he waved back and they left.

"What do you want for your birthday?" Valkyrie randomly asked and buckled in.

"It's not for another month, why?"

"Meh, I don't know. Hey, when I was fourteen going on fifteen Skulduggery was in another dimension."

"Oh, god. That mustn't have been fun."

"I've seen better days." Skulduggery mentioned.

"Days? Try eleven months." Valkyrie sighed and looked forward. Everyone fell silent, "Of course, dads horrible gift buying skills runs through our veins." there wasn't much to talk about the rest of the way there. The Coupe pulled into the parking lot and Alison frowned a little.

"What happened to your Bentley?" She asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Gordon said you had a 1954 R-type Bentley Continental, what happened to it?"

"I haven't seen that car in over a decade," He face Valkyrie, "Valkyrie, weren't you the one who killed my Bentley?"

"Yes. _But_ I did buy you the Coupe with inheritance when I turned eight-teen."

"True. But there was only 208 ever made."

"Well, now your Coupe is and endangered species. Can we get inside? My face is freezing." Skulduggery shrugged and opened the door.

"Hey." Valkyrie called to Tannith and snapped her fingers, "Anything new?"

"No, not really. Vendetta is sick, so yeah." Alison shoulders sagged and walked to Rife's office, "Where are you going, Emera?"

"Is Rife in there?"

"No, outside patrolling." Alison huffed and changed direction, "Don't tell me you're joining him." Tanith begged but Alison zipped up her coat and headed outside.

"Hi Rife!" Alison called out over the winds. Rife turned and frowned.

"Why are you out here?" He asked and stepped forward.

"I heard Vendetta is sick." She answered and tried to summon a flame like her sister, "I thought you would get bored." She captured one but it blew out, "Shit" She muttered.

"How can I get bored? It's twelve bellow."

"Right." She looked around her surroundings, "I'm going to try something." She tried to find her bearings from the wind and her hands splayed. A small disturbance was created and the winds stopped around them, but only for a few seconds. In those few seconds Rife sighed in relief until the winds started again and he fell into the snow.

"Oh hell. Are you OK?" Alison asked, not bothering to help him up.

"I-I think so." His whole backside was powdered in white. Rife's hand splayed and the snow broke off, "Nice try with the air manipulation."

"Thanks-" A low audible _beep _went off, "What was that?"

"My phone, my shift is done." Alison didn't respond, she ran inside the Sanctuary, "Wow." Rife glanced at her face and slurred his words.

"What?" Alison looked at the screen of her phone to find her face frozen red, "God, I didn't think it was _that_ cold out."

"It's Ghastly's clothes, they're, like, the best." Rife snapped his fingers and summoned a small flame, but it died.

"Like?" Ghastly asks and joins them, "Like? Is there any better?"

Alison smirked and Rife scratched his head, "N-no."

"Than why don't you wear mine?" He crossed his arms.

"I like my overcoat, they don't make them like this anymore." Rife answered and folded his lapel down.

"Ah, right." Ghastly left them behind.

"What?"

"Nothing." He called back and rounded a corner. Rife sighed and Alison re-smirked as Valkyrie walked by.

"Are you insane?" She asked and put her hands on her hips, "The wind could've blown you away." She joked.

"Will you stop worrying about me? I'm not little anymore." Valkyrie's head drooped and she found her bearings.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Even Skulduggery wasn't so, so _parenty_."

"Parenty?"

"Over protective, clingy, etcetera, etcetera, you get it." Valkyrie smiled, "I promise; if I worry about you for something stupid, unless you're dying, you can tell something embarrassing about me. OK?"

"OK?" Alison furrowed her brow with a smile.

_Do chapters really need an ending?… it's taken me like 2 days to finish it and I have two very good reasons why. 1. Still thinking of a good plot line (send me 'em!). 2. I was hanging with the original Rife yesterday! It was so much fun! Btw look up Cougar Town Tom Cruize run. It's so funny_.

_One more thing, to: penname (I forgot, sorry). It is Alison, I read Death Bringer again… mwa hahaha!… I'm sorry, I tend to gloat a lot._


	9. Renn is back

_Dear Ms. Sanguine, I deleted your comment because I'm using it, if you other readers read it, you know what'll happen, with a twist! Ok, the whole 'is it Alison or Alice?' thing? Alison is short for Alice, we were all both right and wrong! But I surrender (plus I'm somewhat lazy) I'll use 'Alice' for now on._

**RENN HAS ARRIVED**

GEPOV

Valkyrie grinned, but froze seconds after.

"Are you OK?" Alice asked and grabbed her sisters arm and she froze as well. A whisper cornered their ears _"I never left"_ it said and Alice went wide-

eyed. The two stared at each other.

"What the hell was that, Val?" Alice shrieked.

"I don't know." Valkyrie slowly said, "Did you hear anything, Rife?"

"No, I didn't… Why?" He frowned and Vendetta joined them.

"Jesus, You guys are all wet!" She smiled.

"Hey, did you hear anything? Just now?" Vendetta shook her head, "Alright, then." Valkyrie frowned and Skulduggery caught them.

"Everyone alright?" He asked.

"Um, yeah, do we have some work to do?" She hoped.

"Just patrolling, really."

"OK, I'll join you." She scurried to his side and they cornered right.

Alice turned to Vendetta, "Can I join you two?" Rife shrugged and walked towards his office and they followed.

"Anything new to do today?" Alice asked and spun in the chair.

"No, not really. Rife?"

"No", He replied and opened a book, "not at all."

"Can we at least do _something?_"

"Erm, training?" Vendetta offered.

"In what?"

"Necromancy, I guess."

Alice shrugged and spun again, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?" Vendetta spun herself and stopped.

"How can you do Elemental, Necromancy _and_ Adeptry? When Valkyrie can't."

"Well", Rife answered this time, "Vendetta is ambidextrous, she can easily switch from one to the other."

"So?"

"_So_, Valkyrie isn't-"

"Than why can I do both? And she said she could as well."

"She _could_ when she was younger, but when your magic matures, unless ambidextrous, you have to pick one or the other."

"Ah, so when does my magic mature?" Alice awkwardly asked.

"Around twenty or so." Vendetta replied.

"So I have, like, five years to choose-"

"Unless your ambidextrous." Rife added.

"Right…" She echoed, "Five years."

"Aren't you fourteen?" Vendetta asked.

"I'll be fifteen in two months."

"Ah, got it." Vendetta clicked her tongue, "Necromancy?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Are you sure you're alright, Valkyrie?" Skulduggery asked and rounded another corner.

"No, not really." She sighed."

"Stress?" He guessed.

"Not this time.", She glanced at him as she rounded another corner, "How do I put this… Emera and I heard something that everyone else didn't.", she tried, "Does that make _any_ sense to you?"

"No, not really." They reached the quadrant and started pacing, "What did you hear?"

"I think I heard '_I never left_' and I think Alice heard the same thing. Any ideas?" He shook his head as he passed.

"I don't believe so, no."

Valkyrie huffed, "D-do you think that Darquesse will _happen_?"

"Valkyrie, I extremely doubt that. The odds of that happening again is basically a million to one!" Skulduggery exclaimed and stopped pacing and faced her, "And if she does I wont let it happen, OK?"

"OK, OK", she nodded, "Why do you call _it 'she'_?"

"Because _she_ is _you_." He simply concluded and paced again.

"I wish she wasn't." she sighed and leaned against the wall.

"But she is." He joined her side.

"I wish she wasn't." Valkyrie echoed and hugged him quietly, "I'm glad I have you." She whispered.

"Me too." he held her closer and they finally broke away. _Beep_, Valkyrie got a text, "Who's it from?" Skulduggery asked.

"I don't know.".

_Flash_, teleports Fletcher Renn, "Renn? Is that you?" Vendetta laughed as Rife glared.

"Hey, mate." He greeted with an Australian accent.

"Fletcher?" Alice defended. "The 'Fletcher' who tried to break up my sister with Skulduggery?"

Fletcher stepped back and examined Alice, "You must be Val's sister!" He tried to come forward but stopped, "I was at your Christening, you know."

"Ew." She commented. Vendetta tapped Renn's shoulder and hugged him.

"Why are you back?" Rife asked and their hug broke.

"Thought I should visit, it's been how long?"

"Like, eight years, I think! How-"

Alice interjected, "I thought you didn't like him, Vendetta." she reminded. Vendetta stepped away from him and crossed her arms, "I never said that." she countered.

"What the hell…" Valkyrie panted and leaned against the doorframe, "…happened?"

"We got a surprise visit." Valkyrie glanced at Renn.

"Fletch? It's been forever!" she hugged him quickly before Skulduggery joined Rife's side.

"Good to see you, Renn." He commented, "Glad to see you've got rid of that ridiculous hair."

Fletcher ran his fingers through his short, blond locks, "Yeah, well I don't use hair gel anymore, heh."

"I thought you all hate him." Alice snapped.

"We did, and I mean, we really did-" Vendetta got interrupted by Fletcher.

_One of my many bad endings…got a PM from someone while typing this, "Did Fletcher and Vendetta ever dated or did something more?" I thought it was a hint so I'm using it! You wont know how but you will, thanks. _


	10. the proposal

**THE PROPOSAL**

"They did," Fletcher admitted, "But I saved all their asses and now they love me." He grinned.

"Something like that." Rife muttered.

"Hey, so, uh, what are you guys doing?"

"The usual."

"Ah…" He stared at Tanith, who trotted passed, "Still dating Ghastly?" He asked.

"Actually." She squealed as she held out her left hand that perched a small ring, "I have a fiancée." She squealed again.

"NO WAY!" Valkyrie stared at ring, "About time!"

"I know! We've been dating for more than decade!" Alice finally joined the girls and eventually became excited, the guys stared at each other and waited for Ghastly to pass.

Fletcher cleared his throat, "So, when's Wedding?"

"I dunno…" She turned her attention to Valkyrie, "Val, would you-"

She shrieked and her, "Yes! Yes! Of course!"

"Are you sure? It's a lot of work."

"Tanith? Seriously? Why would you ask that?" Tanith's smiled broadly.

Valkyrie spotted Ghastly, "Get over here!" He obliged.

"Yes?" Ghastly cautiously asked, "What is it?"

"How dare you!" Valkyrie said in a hardest voice possible, "Wait this long to propose!" Ghastly eased and Fletcher laughed.

"Well?" Ghastly hinted at Skulduggery

"Yes, I'll be your best man." Ghastly sighed in relief and everyone relaxed, "Great, so that's done, can we get back to business?" Everyone nodded.

"But, what business is there to attend to?" Alice asked.

"Um, good point." Vendetta clicked her tongue, "Your training?" she asked slowly.

"Um, I guess, Vendetta?"

"Sure, let me get my jacket." She took a left out the door before Alice could object to train outside.

"Relax, you need the experience." Valkyrie elbowed her sister, who scowled. Vendetta came back wearing a torn red leather jacket.

"Shall we?" Alice sighed and joined her side, "Rife, you too."

"But I'm so damp." He countered. Vendetta mouthed _fuck_ and her hands splayed, quickly the water disappeared, "Fine, I'll go."

They reached the main doors and Ghastly called back, "You wouldn't have that problem if I made your clothes." Rife glanced back as the doors creaked shut.

Tanith and Ghastly were in a corridor, just walking. Ghastly kept glancing at her until she looked at him, then he turned away.

"Hey, babe. Are you OK?" She asked and locked around his arm.

"Yes, fine, peachy, why?"

"You look nervous, you sure you're alright?" Tanith stopped him and cupped his face, "You're sweating." she murmured.

Ghastly smiled weakly and kissed her, "I'll be fine." He assured, she nodded and they started walking. Ghastly's shoe caught a snag on the rug and tumbled over, she giggled. He stayed in a kneel and plunged his hands in his pockets.

"W-what are you doing?" Tanith asked, determining his next move.

"Hold on, sweetie… Ah." He brought up a small velvet box and stood up, "Tanith, next time our lives are in danger, I want you to know something", He awkwardly went back to a kneel, "When we actually die in a glorious battle; I want you to be my wife." Tanith frowned and Ghastly cringed, "What?"

"That has to be the cheesiest proposal ever." her tone had no emotion. Moments passed and Tanith sprang onto Ghastly and tightly hugged him, "Of course." Ghastly sighed in relief as Tanith kissed his neck and trailed to his lips, "I love you so much."

"I love you more." Ghastly slid the ring on her finger.

"I beg to differ." She smiled and rolled off of him onto the ground and rested on his arm. They laid side-by-side for a few minutes more. Now, how were they going to break it to the others?

_Aw, I know, right? Reading Shakespeare Undead and I love it! It's based in the 1530's and the main character is a chassuer (hunter) she kills zombies. One night, a strange figure walks into her garden, he uses poetic words that win her over, William Shakespeare (Will for short). Will is like Skulduggery, but he's a Necro-vampire (a vampire that's also a necromancer), you should read it, it's amazingly sweet (I'm addressing my female readers) it's under 300 pages long, there is sex but it's implied, like how (penname) Sabrina Sparrow does it. It's, it's so amazingly amazing, read it and tell me what you think. Due do it's romance I decided to get a pair married. Bye! Xoxo_


	11. recaptured

**Recaptured**

In the blizzard Alice's face was cherry red, "Why out here? Why can't we wait?" She shouted over the winds.

"You need to experience!" Vendetta yelled in the same pitch, "Concentrate and try to stop the wind in a certain area!" Alice nodded.

Her hands splayed, nothing, "The winds must be over fifty miles an hour!"

"Just try!" Alice's hands were interlaced and she cracked her knuckles. Her fingers were twitching to summon something. Instead of stilled air, shadows danced with the wind and she frowned.

"What the hell?" She muttered.

"That's OK," Rife shouted, "I think." the wind picked up the snow and made a forever maze; no one could see each other.

"Why can't I do it?" She got frustrated and headed inside.

"Why'd you stop?" you did great for your experience." Vendetta said as she followed her inside.

"I didn't do anything elemental, though."

"No, but you did do good Necromancy for your experience, Emera."

"OK…" She glanced around, "Where's Rife?" Vendetta too glanced and went outside.

"Rife!" She yelled really loudly, "Get inside!"

"Why?" He asked from behind them.

"How'd you?" Alice was speechless, "How'd you do that?"

"You'll never know." He smiled devilishly and raised a brow.

"Alright then." Vendetta turned to Alice, "Lets focus on Necromancy in Rife's office." Alice smiled and walked inside his office, "OK, uh, try to cover that light." her hands splayed and shadows layered over and light left them, "Got it?" then light came back.

Alice nodded again and she tried. Finally shadows shot from her fingers and heavily caked the bulb. "Like that?" she asked, happy with herself.

"Perfect." Vendetta forced away the shadows and they returned to their spots, "Now, try to shoot a tendril, a small one" Vendetta held out her hand and a small wave of shadows flipped pages of a book.

Alice mimicked her position and shadows snaked continuously around her. "What's happening?" She quickly asked as they enveloped her face.

Before Vendetta could stop her Alice disappeared with the shadows.

"She just shadow walked," Rife guessed, "didn't she." Vendetta ran down the halls to find Valkyrie.

"Vendetta, are you OK?" Valkyrie asked.

"Your sister just shadow walked!" She shrieked.

"Oh, hell. What were you trying to do?"

"She was trying to shoot a tendril, but went it wrong." Rife soon caught up.

"I think I know where she is." he breathed

Alice tried to scream, or say anything. The shadows took her inside a dark room, smelled of coppery blood. Her ring buzzed cold.

"Oh, crap. Where am I?" She whispered.

"'Ello." A Texan drawl came from the other side of the door, "How've ya been?"

"Where am I?"

"In the Temple."

"How'd I get here?" Alice asked and summoned a flame.

"You were needed, that's all I got." He gave an amused laugh. And as he left his boots clacked on the ground. She sat in the dark, beside a body, for hours. Two people walked by, one stomping the other clacking.

"-gonna have fun with this one." Sanguine laughed. Alice tensed.

"You can't lay a finger on her, Sanguine" Wreath ordered.

"Shit…" he huffed, "Fine." they walked passed and she eased.

"Where?" Valkyrie panicked.

"Northern Necromancer Temple." Rife started for the door, backwards.

"Why there?" Vendetta asked, "Wait Rife." Rife didn't register what she said and walked into Skulduggery, back to back.

"Tenterhooks, watch where you walk."

"Not now, we have to get Emera." he walked passed but Skulduggery tapped his shoulder, "She's at the Necromancer Temple, excuse me."

"No, you stay here. Valkyrie and I will go." Rife didn't protest, he just shrugged as Valkyrie passed. _Sorry_ she mouthed.

They got into the Coupe and drove for hours to reach the Temple. Once there Valkyrie didn't wait for the Coupe to stop. Craven was at the front waiting for her.

"Valkyrie, this is not a good time." He hinted.

"Shut up, Wreath." She walked passed and snapped her fingers. Skulduggery ran up to her.

They found Sanguine fiddling with his razor blade. "Hello, bones."

"Where's Emera?" Valkyrie pressed.

_Well, here we are at the end of this chapter… weird right? It took me, like, forever to finish._


	12. Sanguine's ideal plan

**Sanguine's ideal fun**

Sanguine sighed and plummeted into the ground. Alice was sulking in a corner, playing with the flame when he rose from it.

"Scars," He called her, "Get over 'ere".

Alice's flames died and small shadows interlaced her fingers, leaving them in the dark. "Why?" she asked.

"Bones and you sister wants' to see you." Having no eyes, Sanguine saw Alice leaping towards him and he caught her mid-air. "Nice try." He smiled and the ground ate them.

"I _really_ hate you." Alice muttered and Sanguine laughed as they breached the surface.

Valkyrie stepped back where the tiles separated and the two rose. Sanguine dropped Alice on the ground. "There," He pointed at her, "She's fine". Alice started walking towards her sister but Sanguine wrapped her close and held the razor to her neck. "Up until now." He laughed and pressed the blade harder, Alice winced.

"Sanguine, let her go." Skulduggery demanded and flames started to grow.

He didn't say anything, just broadly grinned. Alice saw what was coming, a Cleaver sprinting with his scythe at hand. She started to squirm and managed a shriek that made Skulduggery look behind him.

"Shut up, and quit movin'" Sanguine whispered and his razor sliced a little of her flesh. Alice obeyed.

The Cleaver pounced high and brought up his scythe. Valkyrie and Skulduggery both dodged at either side and shot tendrils of fire at him. The Cleaver's uniform deflected the burns and he sliced towards Valkyrie, which she barely missed. Skulduggery kneeled down and pressed against the tiles. They started separating and the Cleaver fell through a crack, than Skulduggery sealed it.

"Now, Sanguine. Give her back."

He evilly smirked and sank into the ground, leaving Alice. Valkyrie ran to her and looked at Sanguine's slice.

"Oh, lord. Are you OK?" She asked.

"I really, _really_ hate him." Alice breathed and held her sleeve to her neck, "Next time I see him, I'm gonna kick in in the b-" Valkyrie shrieked as Sanguine took her into the ground. "Damn it." Alice murmured. Shadows slithered in her hands as Skulduggery kneeled again. "What are you doing now?" Alice asked.

No reply. His hands shifted on the tiles until he started tapping at it. "There."

"What?"

"Sanguine and Valkyrie are right below here."

"Isn't that where you put the Cleaver?"

"Damn." He huffed and the tiles separated again, "C'mon." He opened a tunnel that lead straight down. He sat at the edged, "Hurry." he urged and went in.

Alice shrugged and did the same. The tunnel went from a vertical plummet to a slope. There was no light when she landed on her feet. "Skulduggery?" She whispered and stalked against the wall, arms out, until she felt framed structure.

"Can I help you?" Skulduggery softly teased. Alice stopped and put her at her sides.

"Sorry," she whispered, "I can't see a thing."

"But I can." He grabbed her sleeve and started running, guiding her through. They ran for a few minutes and slowly stopped and the walls light up with orange flames. Valkyrie ran into Skulduggery and mumbled, "oomph".

"What happened?" He asked.

"Th-the Cleaver is chasing me." She panted, "We have to go, like, right now." Quick foot steps were coming louder and her flame died, Skulduggery took lead and pulled Valkyrie, who pulled Alice. They got back to the tunnel and started to climb, Skulduggery was front, then Valkyrie and Alice. She grabbed Alice's wrist and ground started to close bellow them and they went faster to the top. At the surface, the ground sealed lastly.

Sanguine joined them about ten yards away. "Shit," He gritted through his teeth and disappeared, then, reappeared in front of them. Alice's lips twisted to snarl and she kneed him in his inner thighs. He gasped and hissed, "Holy shit." and he disappeared once again. Alice smiled in victory.

_The title has really nothing to do with this chapter, but it will later… If you read my other Fanfic's (the case against Gale Maladroit) latest chapter than ignore the further notes. I have a new story idea involving the demon barber of Fleet street, yes, Sweeney Todd. I'm am momentarily obsessed with him, drawing, you tube clip-show making ect, etc. it's a drabble thing, Sweeney's killing random people that I need you, yes you to request. Each chapter will be some one new and (hopefully) a new way to make neck to razor… please request! And I mean __anybody. __**Anybody!**_


	13. Sanguine's ideal plan pt 2

**Sanguine's ideal plan pt. 2**

Alice plunged her hands in her pockets and left the Temple with the smirk. Valkyrie shrugged and followed.

"Are you hungry?" She asked.

"Starving." Alice nodded and walked faster.

They drove to a fast-food place and headed back to Haggard. Alice slept a little and occasionally spoke.

Skulduggery opened the door to find Rife doing the same thing. He jumped and Skulduggery crossed his arms.

"Excuse me, Pleasant." Rife said and walked outside, "Good to see you, Emera." he half-saluted and cornered left.

"Bye Rife." she blinked. Skulduggery tilted his head. "Do you have to be so mean?" she asked as she walked inside.

He didn't answer, just closed the door.

"Don't worry about it." Valkyrie whispered.

"Oh," Vendetta noticed, "Hey, guys… Hi Emera."

"Uh, hi Vendetta." she turned and walked away.

"Why is she like that?" Alice tugged Valkyrie's arm.

"I think she feels bad for what happened earlier today."

"It wasn't her fault though."

"Yeah, well, you know."

"OK…?" Alice frowned and took her jacket, "Can I go home now?" Valkyrie caught Tanith.

"Hey, can you take Emera home?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah sure, Val. C'mon." Alice joined her side and they walked back out.

"OK," Valkyrie's tone changed, "I want to know why Sanguine keeps trying to capture her."

"She obviously has a purpose."

"Yes, but what is it?"

"Hasn't it occurred to you the fact that she can already do Necromancy, let alone her lack of experience and training?"

She frowned and color drained from her face. "God, it isn't her, Skulduggery."

"You don't know that. Melancholia died, the title passed to the next-"

"Than it would be me then, right?"

"Well, if you compare her and you at the level of experience with Necromancy, then she greatly outranks you."

"Well, maybe Vendetta is an excellent teacher." she raised her voice, "Vendetta?" she walked over to them.

"Yes?"

"What were you teaching Emera earlier today?"

"We were outside, she was trying to still air but shadows came out. Later, she, uh, made a light bulb covered in light, quite thick though." she scratched her head.

"How good do you think she is, considering her training?"

"OK, what is it?" Vendetta changed the subject.

"W-what do you mean?" Valkyrie tried.

"Spill it, what are you two thinking?"

"Would you say that Emera could possibly be the next Death Bringer?"

Vendetta froze, "I, I don't know, possibly. I hope not, I gotta' go." She turned her heel and stalked off.

"Think she still feels bad." Skulduggery remarked.

"You aren't really thinking that are you." She asked.

"Nope," he nodded, "Not at all." He darted in Vendetta's general direction. Valkyrie sighed and followed.

Skulduggery stopped dead in his tracks. "Damn." he muttered when Valkyrie caught up.

"What? Why'd you stop?" she huffed.

"Look." he pointed and a raven was flapping to the ceiling.

"Vendetta." Valkyrie called up, "Get down here." the raven, croaked and jumped a little. "Please?" she asked, irritated. It flapped harder and managed to hit the top.

"Vendetta, we're not going to ask again." Skulduggery ordered. It started to head for an open window. His hands splayed and the raven got _pushed_ to the ground. Valkyrie grasped the bird and it pecked her hard.

"Ow." She murmured, "Skulduggery, it's her. I don't think Vendetta would peck me." she tossed the raven up and it clumsily flapped away. "Vendetta." Valkyrie tried again, "where the hell are you?"

A closet door opened behind them and Vendetta innocently smiled, "Hi."

"Vendetta, why did you put us through that?"

"I might've panicked or so, heh"

"Ok, now _you_ spill it."

"Which house?" Tanith joked and tossed Alice a helmet.

"I think you know which one." her voice was muffled from the helmet. Tanith smiled and swung into her seat. Alice followed along and squeezed her. The ride was faster than car. Alice was footsteps from the door when Tanith stopped her.

"Not that way." she dragged Alice to the lawn and pointed to the window. "Go up there."

"How?"

"Uh, here, propel yourself, here," she put Alice in a position, "Now push yourself up."

"OK?" Alice obliged, only shadows instead of wind. They rapidly brought her to her window. She waved down to Tanith and stepped inside.

"Do you want to resume?" her mirror image whispered.

"Hell yes." Alice touched the surface and memories flowed in. She threw her uniform on the ground and pulled the covers over her.

"Hello, Scars"

_*Gasp! I know, right? Ha, ha, ha… so, I hope you like my new story that'll be up in a few…_

_~Skully_


	14. no questions asked

_Please, enlighten me, now don't worry I'm mad or anything! No, of course not… got a PM from, I believe Sweeneyfun they, I think it's a request, "first murder was cool! But, may I suggest, only if you don'tlike him, Have that Butt-headed girl voiced freak Justin Bieber should be thenext victim. Those who don't like it can strategically place their lips on myposterior and kiss it repeatedly", can you please tell me who she is? I don't know anybody that likes JB, please help._

**No questions asked.**

Vendetta stepped out of the door and her shoulders slightly sagged.

"I might've got threatened got Sanguine." She showed them an earpiece, "We have to go now." shadows started wrapping around them. They shadow walked in front of Alice's house.

"Why did you take us here?" Valkyrie asked and flew up to the window and stepped inside.

"He ran into me, threatened to capture Emera, again-" Vendetta followed up, then Skulduggery.

"She isn't here." Valkyrie sighed and knocked on the mirror, "Get out."

"Yes?" Alice's image asked.

"What happened?"

Alice rolled to face the intruder, using her duvet to cover herself. "Would you at least wait until I'm dressed?" She lazily asked.

No answer, he stepped out the room, oddly enough, so she could get dressed. "Thank you." she murmured. Alice got quickly changed in her attire and went out the window, landing onto the ground hard. Sanguine effortlessly rose beside her.

"Why do you keep capturing me?" She ordered.

"I'm gettinn' hired to." he replied, "Trust me, you're the last person I want to see, Scars" He quenched her arm and the ground consumed them. They reappeared in the dark room again, "Now, stay there." he threatened and slammed the door shut, followed a lock.

*** (Sanguine's day)

Billy-Ray Sanguine got called in again by High Priest Tenebrea.

"Why can't you call in Jack?" He asked- begged.

"He's busy, Sanguine." Tenebrea frowned, "Are you actually begging?"

"No," he defended, "I just hate her."

"I thought you hated everyone?"

"That's the 'killing' hate," He tried "this hate makes me want to avoid her."

"You see _her_ as a _threat_?"

"Of course not." He stormed out of the room and sank into the ground. Sanguine appeared in the Sanctuary's corridor, he hid behind a corner and waited for someone to walk by. Vendetta skipped down the halls and he stepped in her way.

"Hello, Scales." He called her back from 2012 and stuck to it since.

"Stop calling me that!" She smiled and laughed, shadows lingered in her palms, "Why are you here Sanguine?" He smiled shifted behind her.

"On another hit, dear." He whispered behind her ear and handed her an earpiece, "Wear this, you never saw me."

"As usual, bye now." shadows wrapped around him and he was dragged in front of her and took his glasses.

He smirk and took back the glasses than disappeared. Vendetta blinked at the earpiece and put it on. A voice came to her ear.

"Remember," Sanguine said, "I was _never_ here, or else."

"OK." she replied and continued skipping.

*** (back to the present)

"Vendetta, take out that earpiece." Valkyrie demanded.

"Do you want something bad to happen to Emera? No."

What he was hearing made him both furious, but excited. He knew he could count on her.

"Well, then shadow walk us there." Vendetta sighed and took them there, in a strange room.

"Why here?" Valkyrie asked.

"I don't know," She did, "I've been here before, that's all." they didn't bother to ask, too much secrets for them to handle, which Vendetta appreciated. They ran down the halls, avoiding Necromancers in robes.

Alice sat in the room for about an hour, the only way she fought boredom was practicing. Tenebrea opened the door and Alice's flame grew strong.

"What do you want?", She asked.

"You, my dear." he held out his arm, "Come with me." She hesitated and rendered to him, but her flame didn't die. "Put that out, dear."

"Bite me." She smirked. Tenebrea narrowed his eyes and waved someone over, Sanguine.

"Would you please?" He asked and Sanguine got her from behind, bringing blade to neck. Alice's lip twisted to a snarl. "Take her to, well, you know." They disappeared, but reappeared not in the Temple, outside it. Sanguine shoved her away.

"What the hell are you planning to do with me?" She demanded and shadows circled her hands.

"Get outta' here!" He spat.

"Why?"

"Just do it." He pointed to a direction, "Run till you hit a willow tree, now!" Alice glared at him as she sprinted to the tree and waited.

Vendetta heard his voice again, "She's by the willow tree." and he stopped there.

Shadows twirled around them once more and they shadow walked by the willow.

"Valkyrie?" Alice asked and walked up to them, "How'd you know I'd be here?"

"Yes," she turned to Vendetta, "_How_ did you know she'd be here?"

"Just had a feeling, y'know?" Again, no one asked. They shadow walked back to the Sanctuary, late in the night.

Vendetta walked behind the Sanctuary, more because she was bored.

"You remembered." She said in the night air, Sanguine walked to her and smiled. "I'd thought you'd forget." she handed him the earpiece.

"Thought it would be perfect."

"As always"

_No, it looks all the sudden, but I had it planned (more or less) I was debating. I'm like "yeah, lets do it!"… it's all good._


	15. the familiar itch

_From the last chapter, people were confused… don't worry it'll all work out in the end… I went back to my first three chapters and frowned, "why did you type this? There are so many typos! Jesus, Zoë, get back into the game!" I thought. I think I'm being hard on myself…if you go back to the 2__nd__ chapter, have you read Sanguine's dialog? It's atrocious!_

**The familiar **_**itch**_

Valkyrie took Alice to Sanctuary hospital, she got patched up- except for _two_ scars now.

"Like I said," Valkyrie began, "It's a painful life." Alice half-laughed and opened the exit door. Vendetta skipped past her, leaving a slight blur.

"Vendetta, why are you skipping?" Valkyrie playfully asked.

"Um, I don't know. Actually. Because I can?" she grinned.

"What happened, like, just now?"

"Got an unexpected meeting from someone"

"Cool, alright. Bye."

"Later." She didn't skip, just walked and cornered.

"Why didn't you ask her who the person was?" Alice asked, confused.

"Somethings are better left where they lay, trust me." memories filled her head, but shrugged them away.

"Alright then." she blinked a few times, "So, what's the time?"

"Erm, eight forty-six."

"Huh, thought it was later…" she fell silent. "What _did_ happen to the original Necromancer Temple?"

"It got…" she faltered, "demolished."

"OK." she blinked, "Hey, I'm hungry."

"Alright, I think that fast-food place is still opened."

"OK." Alice echoed herself.

"I'll be right back." Valkyrie stepped out the door and ran to the restaurant. Alice started walking through the corridors and spotted Vendetta stepping out the back door. A familiar _itch_ started crept up her neck.

Vendetta was talking to someone behind a tree when Alice spotted her.

"-bye now." was all she heard. Alice stalked just behind Vendetta.

"Who are you talking to?" she asked and Vendetta squealed back.

"Ah, uh, I was, uh, talking to someone."

"Who?" she pressed.

"A dude." Vendetta tried.

"And?"

"Well, he wasn't a girl." she softly laughed and headed for the door. Alice frowned and checked behind the tree, only simple cracks were left. And she followed behind.

"Oh, hey guys. Got Chinese." Valkyrie dangled or four boxes in front of her.

"Cheers." she muttered and joined her sisters' side.

The four - excluding Ghastly, Skulduggery and Vendetta - were eating in Rife's office.

"These noodles are soggy." Rife complained and examined a chopstick full.

"Live with it." Valkyrie replied.

"Who do you think Vendetta was talking to?" Alice asked, out of the blue.

"What?" Tanith frowned and shoved a mouthful.

"Like, fifteen minutes ago she was talking to someone."

"I have no clue what you're talking about."

"Who knows how long she's been seeing _him_?"

"Like I said-"

"Yeah, yeah I know. But I want to know who he is." the conversation ended when there was a knock at the door. Vendetta walked through and stole some of Valkyrie's noodles.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

"Nothing much, really." Alice responded and handed Vendetta her half-filled box, but no chopsticks. "Go nuts." Vendetta smiled and dug her fingers in the box.

"Is she OK?" Vendetta asked and sipped some broth at the bottom.

"She's getting _suspicious _again." Tanith joked.

"What about?" She froze a little.

"She said you were talking to someone, like twenty minutes ago."

"Oh, yeah, _that_."

"Whatever." Tanith rolled her eyes and frowned, "I'm out of noodles." she murmured.

_Again, seems confusing, but I think you get the picture…Something random, my first bike race is tomorrow! And I'm the __only girl__ that's representing my __entire __school! That's like 1600 students! If I fail at this I swear to God I will never eat beef jerky forev- a day (to tempting)_


	16. friends'

_Back from the race. Went from the lead biker, then the gun shot, I shrieked and fell, in the end I went from first to last in 30 seconds flat._

'**Friends'**

Alice left before she heard Tanith finished her sentence. Bored, she strolled around the almost empty Sanctuary. She found Skulduggery and Ghastly in the Elders' Hall.

"Hey guys." she dryly said and walked in, "What's up?"

"Weren't you eating Chinese with Valkyrie?" Ghastly asked and sipped some tea.

"Yeah, but I got bored. Which brings me to another question," Alice clasped her hands together and bounced them off her legs, "Do you think that Vendetta is, like, seeing someone?"

"Why would we care?" Skulduggery asked in confusion.

"Well, aren't you her friends?" her hands broke away and plunged them into her pockets.

"Yes," Ghastly affirmed, "But isn't _gossip_ for women?"

"What?… no. they didn't take me seriously." Alice complained.

"Should we be worried?" Skulduggery questioned, not meaning it.

"I wou- I th-" she faltered, trying to think of something, "Look, I just want to know who he is, he could be dangerous."

"I really think there's no harm." Skulduggery concluded. "I mean, who cares if she's dating someone?"

"Well, wouldn't you like to know _who_ he is?" she countered.

"Not my jurisdiction." he said. Alice stared briefly.

She started walking back to Rife's office when Vendetta stepped out, checking her phone with a grin. She did her skipping fit to the backdoor and went out. This time Alice _had_ her.

"Thanks for the other night, it really means a lot to Val." Vendetta held someone's hand from what she could see. Alice leaned over the stairs' railing a little more to see better. Most of his face was a shadow, but she still saw a smile.

"Think nothing of it." a familiar voice said, a Texan drawl. She leaned more and flipped over the railings, landing with a _thud_.

Alice moaned and caught Vendetta's attention, and _his _as well. She ran first and he hesitated. "What the hell? Are you OK?" she asked. Vendetta glanced back and rolled her eyes, "She was gonna' find out sooner or later Sanguine." he stepped out and leaned against the tree. "What on earth were you doing?"

"Uh, spying?" Alice frowned, "Why is _he _here?" she scowled.

"Just visiting, but are you OK?"

"I'm fine, OK?" she stood up, "But seriously! Why him?"

"It's not my fault he left you scarred for life!" she snapped, "It's none of your business who I date, Emera."

"I think it is when you're dating a freakin' criminal." she pointed at the quiet Sanguine.

"Hey, hey, hey, Scars, relax." this was a new side of him that Alice has never seen.

"Vendetta, he's a hit-man, he's killed tons and," she grimaced at the next word, "_tortured_ countless."

He didn't object to most what she said-, "Deluxe," except for one thing, "I'm a hit-man _deluxe_." he corrected.

"Whatever! The point is, is that she's _dating_ you and you're a _criminal_!"

"I'm an ally, Scars, I work for either side, depending on how much they pay me." he folded his arms and leaned against another tree, "I'm a trader to all sides. You know, I even _saved_ your sisters' life plenty of times before. _And_, I _saved _yours the other night." he added, "deal with it."

Alice scowled, "Imagine what would your friends think?" she said and stormed to Rife's office.

"Wait here." she told him and he shrugged. Vendetta sprinted to Rife's office.

"Oh, good you're here," Alice taunted, "K, guys. I know who Vendetta is dating."

"Alice, you don't know what-" Vendetta warned.

"She's dating Sanguine!" she exclaimed. Expecting gasps, never got them. "W-wha- aren't you surprised? She's dating a _criminal_!"

"OK," Skulduggery said down the hall, "What is it?"

"How much times do I have to say it? Vendetta's boyfriend is Sanguine."

"Good for her, then." Vendetta smiled back and glared at Alice.

"See? Like I was going to say, 'you don't know what you're getting yourself into'. No one cares, really."

"B-but, he's a hit-man."

"We all are familiar on who he is, we don't like him and we won't kill him. Easy as that."

Boggled, Alice frowned. "I-I-I am so lost right now."

"No one cares what I hide from them, Emera, but apparently you do."

All the anger swept away quickly and Alice drooped in shame. Vendetta walked out and silence fell over them. She chased Vendetta and grabbed her arm.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"Why?"

"Well, I, I guess… I'm lost."

"It _was_ my fault that I should've told you," she thought for a moment, "I guess it cancels out, huh."

"OK, so we're good? Friends?"

"Uh, yeah, friends."

_If you've been reading my third case, which I doubt. It's gonna be my last case on that and then I'll focus on this one. If you do read it though all questions will be answered from this one. Like, 'how did Vendetta and Sanguine hook up?' or 'what happened to the Necromancer Temple?' it'll get answered! I swear!_

_By the way, again, I doubt it. If you've read my latest chapter of case 3 (authors notes) you would've read about the infamous word "Valduggery" if not, here it goes… I found two meanings for "Valduggery" one, the obvious, their romantic side for each other. And two, not famous but somewhat deeper, their unbreakable bond as best friends, possibly siblings. What do you think? End it? (more drama for you and new sides of each other) or keep it? (intimate bliss)… I seriously have no clue what I just typed "intimate bliss"… but you get it. You have 3 chapters to decide_


	17. mystery man

_Two chapters left to choose…_

**Mystery man**

"I hate the winter." Alice muttered when she got picked up.

"Hey, at least only your face is frozen." Valkyrie joked. The Coupe revved and Skulduggery dove to the Sanctuary. "_And _you're going to be fifteen soon, live with it."

"Fine, that's the _only _reason why I like winter."

"What about me?"

"Right, you're turning thirty-two, cheers." she shrugged.

"Isn't it funny that your birthday is the fourteenth?"

Alice clicked her tongue, "Valentines Day." she murmured, "But why _that_ day?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's on a day where people fall in love and crap like that."

Valkyrie smiled, "Are you lonely?" she teased in a sappy voice.

"No," she defended, "I mean, sure, everyone I now know is dating. Except Rife."

"Must we?" Skulduggery whined.

"Hey, it's not my fault you don't like him and he's gay, Skulduggery."

He grunted in disbelief.

Alice bolted inside. Valkyrie and Skulduggery walked it. Inside, she quickly got to Rife's office and knocked; nothing. Tried again, nothing.

"Rife? Vendetta?" she jiggled the locked knob and walked back to find her sister.

"You know she _dissed_ you, Skulduggery." Valkyrie teased.

"I'm not saying she didn't, she _was_ right." he vaguely admitted.

"Huh."

Alice ran through the hallways and finally found her.

"There you are." Alice breathed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, really. I just can't find Vendetta and Rife. I wonder if she brought Sanguine with her." she slightly shivered. "You know, he calls _'Scars' _it's just creepy. _And_ he calls Vendetta _'Scales'_ where did he get that from?"

"I sincerely don't know," Valkyrie lied, "But he calls Skulduggery _Bones_ and sometimes on special occasion, _Funny Bones_."

Alice clamped her mouth shut from laughter. "Laugh it up." Skulduggery mumbled.

"Hey, I'm gonna check outside quickly. Rife might be buried again." Alice headed for the door and shuffled out.

"I'm not even going to comment." He said.

"Rife? Are you out here?" she yelled out, though the winds weren't strong, just cold.

She ventured through the knee-high snow. She found someone laying in the snow facedown. _Oh, God_, she thought. She tapped on the persons' shoulder. Nothing. She achieved flipping them over. He was wearing a toque that was pulled down over his eyes. The jacket wasn't that big, not even meant for this weather. Panicking, she grabs the first person she can pull out to the man in the snow.

"What is it?" Ghastly asked, surprised. She looked at him.

"There's some guy unconscious over there." she let go and pointed to him. Ghastly squinted from the bright snow and waddled over the snow to get to him. He checked the mans' pulse, not reading anything.

"Emera, get help."

"OK." she ran back to the door, not cold anymore. "Ghastly needs help outside." she addressed everyone in the foyer, "There's a guy out there, he said for me to call for help." they quickly glanced at her and ran outside.

"What happened?" Tanith asked later. The people were swarming around Ghastly who was carrying the man. Nurses with a gurney hoisted him onto it and rushed his to the infirmary.

"Who was he?" Alice asked Ghastly, "Did you get a look of his face?"

"Beats me."

Alice had nothing better to do than just wait to see who this man is. Rife and Vendetta haven't shown up yet, so she sat in a waiting room chair. She waited for about an hour when Clarabelle stepped out.

"Who is he?" she asked immediately.

"Who is who? Who am I?" She giggled.

"That unconscious guy from the snow, who is he?"

"Do you want to see him?"

"Is he alive?"

"Yes! No. Maybe." Clarabelle gestured Alice in and the mystery man was revealed. Fletcher. Alice ran over to him, not knowing why.

"Fletcher? Are you awake?"

He didn't move. It wasn't much help because there was no heart rate monitor to keep progress.


	18. boneheaded detective

**Boneheaded detective**

"Do you need any help?" Clarabelle asked.

"Uh, Yes! Does he have a pulse?" she frowned and pressed her fingers on his neck.

"No… Yes! But it's slow." Alice sighed and shook him awake. "Want me to get the boneheaded detective?"

"Yes."

"OK." she pranced out.

_Boneheaded detective…_, she thought, _best adjective ever!_ she couldn't help but giggle.

Clarabelle came back, "Here you go." Skulduggery and Valkyrie walked passed her and looked at Fletcher.

"I resent being called _a boneheaded detective_." he muttered as Valkyrie rushed to the bedside.

"Shut up." she snapped, "Fletch? Fletcher, you idiot wake up!" she smacked his head.

"What the hell? Why are you doing that?"

"He's awake, Emera. He wants me to kiss him awake. Don't you, Sleeping Beauty?"

"Guilty as charged." he weakly chuckled.

"What were you doing out there? You almost got killed!"

"Yeah, but I didn't."

"Seriously, why?"

"Because someone was trying to kill Emera, thought I should warn you-"

"So you teleported to the parking lot in the middle of the night and froze?"

"Hey, where I was it was noon! I got into some trouble with a Adept… or was he a Warlock? Anyways, I didn't think of the time here and the weather. I accidentally took him with me and he… I guess, he _paralyzed _me. I couldn't move, couldn't breath. The end." he smiled blue lips, almost unnaturally blue.

"Why are your lips _so_ blue?" Emera randomly asked.

"Oh, I was sucking on a Ring Pop."

"I'm not even going to ask."

"Can we get back to business?" Skulduggery suggested.

"Right, sorry. What was his name?"

"I don't really remember, to be honest."

"Great." Alice mumbled, "another hit-man paid to kill me!"

"Relax, I'll get Rife on it." Valkyrie assured.

"Perfect." Skulduggery mumbled. Valkyrie glanced at him and dug out her phone. "Calling Rife?"

"Yep…Rife? You there?… Yes, fine, where are you? You're late… Oh, sorry…" she took another pause to listen, "uh-huh, yeah, got it… not now please? I need you to do some _nerd-work_… you heard me. ASAP, bye."

"Nerd-work?" Skulduggery asked, 'grinning'

"Yeah, he knows how to check the security crap."

"And I don't?"

"No, you're old fashioned, kind of. He's my nerd."

"Ahem?"

"He's my nerd. You're my skeleton. Easy as that." she patted his shoulder. "I think he's here, bye."

"Are her and Rife, like, that close?" Alice asked.

"Can't be, he's gay." he simply said, "there is no way."

Valkyrie waited for Rife at the door. It took him about five minutes more after the call ended. Vendetta, not with him.

"Where is she?" Valkyrie asked.

"Sick, coughing hysterically, that's why I was late."

She smiled, "You _are_ like the human form of Skulduggery."

"Hey, no I'm not." he protested.

"Prove it, Tenterhooks."

"I-I-I… I see myself as Sherlock.

"Benedict Cumberbatch?"

"Not the series, _the_ Sherlock Holmes."

"Why?"

"Well, he's not a fighter, he's a thinker. Like me."

"Alright, then." he walked to his office and got his computer booted up. "are you hacking the Sanctuary's security system.

"No, hacked, I _hacked_ it."

"When?"

"Long time ago." he started typing in commands and achieved what happened. "Which time frame?"

"Uh, eleven-thirty, but speed it up."

"Done." Rife turned his monitor to face her. At the frame of eleven-fifty-six Fletcher and the man appeared on screen. They tackled, threw punches until the man got, what appears to be, bored and chops Fletcher at the left temple. Fletcher collapses on the ground and the man runs off screen.

"Did the camera get a glimpse of his face?"

"Uh, let me see." typing in more commands, he finds a frame where the man is about flip Fletcher over, it catches a pixilated cameo of him.

"Is that enough?"

"It's what we got." he scrolls his mouse and zooms in closer, making it more pixilated.

"That didn't work."

"Hold on." he said hastily. The contrast and the resolution change to get a better look.

"Scan his face!"

"OK, OK." he got up a software and uploaded the man's cameo. It pinpointed areas of his face and started flipping through mug shots of criminals. "Since it's still a little blurred it might take a while, possibly a day. I recommend you keep an eye out for her." he advised.

"Thanks Rife."

"No worries."

"Come with me."

"Alright, then." he followed her to Fletcher's bedside. But Skulduggery and Alice were not present. "Is Fletcher OK?"

"Peachy. Do you know where they are?"

"At my office. Or at the front."

"Why would they look there?"

"He's a boneheaded detective, am I right."

"More than you think."

_Strange ending, strange title; deal with it! Who is this mystery man? An OC? Yeah he is. It's up to you for the name (must involve the word 'death') bye!_


	19. Jace Du Mort

_Oh, hi! The votes are in, and the names… you'll find out at the end! Btw, thanks for pointing that out, I did accidentally load it twice… sorry!_

**Jace Du Mort**

Valkyrie checked the front while Rife checked his office. To them it wasn't a big deal if Alice and Skulduggery were missing, they just had nothing to do.

"What you looking for?" Tanith asked Valkyrie.

"I'm looking for Skul and Emera."

"I think I saw them walk outside, like, five minutes ago."

"Thanks." she waved back and ventured outside. The snow was a at an easy pace, quite beautiful really. The two were by where Fletcher was lying.

"Anything?" she asked.

"No, not really," Skulduggery said, "just a lot of movement, course we can't tell where he left. The snow covered his tracks."

"Did you get anything from the footage?" Alice asked in turn.

"Yeah," she walked to face a direction, "I think he ran off screen that way. Also, he chopped Fletcher on his left temple. Do you think it's combat or magic?"

"Little bit of both, you can't _paralyze _a victim by _chopping_ the temple, but there's a risk of death or blackout."

"Shock?"

"Maybe, that doesn't explain anything, though."

"OK. I doubt there's anything more out here. I got Rife on trying to identify the guys face."

"Can we go inside then?" Alice begged.

"Yes we can." Valkyrie started first but Alice passed her.

"Oh," Rife said, "you found them."

"Yeah, I did. Anything on his face?"

"Not yet."

"Figures." Skulduggery muttered.

"Fine, you try."

"No, I'm good." he kept walking but Rife stopped and smiled triumphantly.

"Is there any left over Chinese?" Tanith asked while they waited for the results.

"It's three-thirty, in between meals, Tanith." Valkyrie said.

"So?"

"Fine," she tossed Tanith the last box of noodles, "but dinner's on you, K?"

"Alright, sure, fine." she started sipping the cold broth, finishing the last bits of noodles in the process.

Each in a different tone four _beeps_ came from Rife's desktop, going low to high. "It found a match." he exclaimed and swiveled to his desk.

"Well, who is it?" Alice asked. He turned his monitor to face the others.

"Jace Du Mort. Adept, like Tanith, relies on strength and combat more than magic-"

"Is he a hit-guy?" Alice interjected.

"I think when he gets bored, yes."

"Ally?"

"Yes, but only if the best are busy."

"Does he have a reference?" Valkyrie asked.

"No, not that I know of."

"Great, I'm going to tell Fletcher." she headed out and Skulduggery followed.

"Is he actually dangerous?"

"Doubt it, but we should be worried about who hired him."

"So he's a nobody?"

"No, wannabe."

"Huh."

_Short chapter, but I have plans. Training, beating friends at video games, and a rendezvous with a friend on my team…talking about how the Whistler team will eat our dust! Yeah, I know. I'm anything __but__ a normal teenage girl. _

_OK, back to business. The name Jace Du Mort got PM'd by the original Rife. I have a feeling that he got it from City of Bones (great book by the way). Du Mort means 'of death'. hey, I did say it has to include the word death! And the polls for which valduggery you prefer. No one reviewed about it and the PM's are all OC names. The final vote PM came from Vendetta Tenterhooks, don't worry I'm not mad. I think it's cute, but not possible…_

_The polls are._

_Romance: 41_

_Bond: 54_

_What ever you feel right: 23_

_You guys racked up my inbox! _


	20. Surprise

**Surprise**

"What's the difference?" Alice asked.

"Maybe he wants to prove himself." Rife suggested and printed Jace's face. Long, hollow cheeks, crooked nose, wiry tousled blond hair with matching eyebrows, his piercing blue eyes that created the most focus.

"He looks Russian." Tanith said and crushed the Chinese box.

"Is that a clue as to who hired him?" She examined his portfolio and passed it to Valkyrie.

"Maybe." Tanith tugged the sheet away, "Hey, I'm gonna' show Fletcher this- if you don't mind." she smiled and walked out.

"No prob." Rife quietly answered and printed another sheet.

"Is this the guy?" she asked him, holding up the paper.

"Yeah, that's him." he smiled, "Still single?" knowing she wasn't.

She showed her left hand, "Soon to be married, actually."

"Is it still too late?"

"You seem to be feeling better." Tanith pressed her hand to his forehead.

"Yeah, I can go anytime now. Just choose not to."

"How do you manage that?"

"I cough and moan whenever Clarabelle walks by."

"Smart. OK, while you have fun in Hotel La Infirmary, I have work to do."

"Hey, do I not get a good-bye kiss?" Tanith grabbed a nearby pillow and beat his face, aiming for the hair. "Jheez, not the hair!" she smiled and walked out.

They gathered further information on what they could get their hands on and left for home.

"Hey, you do know it's only four-thirty. Right?" Alice asked, stepping out of the Coupe.

"Yes, but do you want to do _more _work?" Valkyrie replied from the window.

She blinked and tilted her head, "Never mind." she waved back, "Bye." Valkyrie waved back. Alice ran behind the house and clumsily got to her window sill.

"Hi, you're early." Her reflection said and closed a textbook. "Would you like to resume?"

She nodded. "Yeah." Alice's fingers tapped the surface and she stifled briefly through her new memories. "Hey, I'm gonna go downstairs. Are my parents here?"

"Yes. Desmond is ironing socks and Melissa is making dinner." it smiled and opened the book. Alice frowned at her image and slid the banister railing.

"Hi, Sweetie." her mom said in greeting. "Did you finish your homework?"

"Uh, yeah. I did." Alice poured herself some Coke and sat down. "Anything new?"

"No, Honey." she frowned at the turkey, "Actually there _is _something."

"Yes?" she slowly asked, "What's up?"

"Who dropped you off today? I thought you were in your room."

Panicked, she sipped her drink. "Oh, Va- Stephanie gave something I left at school to give back."

"She didn't stop by though."

"Yeah, she was in a hurry. Sorry." thinking it's safe she was about to head back upstairs when-

"What did you forget?"

"Oh, one of my rings." she showed her only ring available, her Necromancer ring.

"I haven't seen that one yet, may I?" Alice handed her mom the ring nervously. "It looks like a hematite and why is it so cold?"

"Probably the weather or something." she falsely chuckled and got the ring back.

"Alright then." Melissa placed the turkey in the oven. Alice smiled and ran upstairs.

"You really should be more careful." it said, swiveling to face her.

"Shut up, I know."

"OK then, I _then_ recommend you turn around." Alice blinked and looked over her shoulder to find Jace leaning in her corner patiently.

"Surprise!" he roared in an unrecognizable accent.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Alice shrieked and ducked the first punch. Returning with a stomp to his foot.

"I didn't think it mattered." it complained.

"We are done here." Jace's fist swung at an alarming speed, he punched the small of her back and she crumpled on the ground.

From what she could see, Jace leaned down when the door swung open.

"ALICE?" Melissa screeched.

_Wh-what? Yeah, I know! Sorry for the lack of updates. Finals are soon, bike practice. Ect ect! Anyway peace!_


	21. mages or not

**Mages or not**

"Mom?" Alice regained her focus and jumped up. Jace stayed still.

"Are you OK?" she asked then looked at Jace, "Who the hell are you?"

He didn't respond. Jace straightened his back and stared at her. He walked over to her, Melissa didn't resist, she looked in his eyes and he tapped her left Temple and she instantly fainted on the ground.

"Mom!" she ran to her, she was still breathing. Alice dug out her phone and called Valkyrie, or someone, over. She looked over her shoulder and noticed Jace missing. Alice ran down the stairs and found her dad face-down in the hallway. "Did you kill them?"

"If their mages they'll be fine."

"What the hell! They're mortal!"

"Than I can't help you, but I can kill you." Jace smirked.

Alice stepped back a little and made a run for the door, to her surprise Vendetta opened it before Alice does. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine but aren't you sick?"

"Not anymore, c'mon we should go." she pushed Jace back and they ran up the street. "We're meeting Val at the café."

"Across from the green inn?"

"That one."

Alice nodded, "OK. I going to call the ambulance." she stopped running and dug out her phone and called them. "They'll be there in, like, five minutes." she panted some more and picked up her pace

They got at the café and waited. "Do you think my parents will be OK?"

"I don't know." Vendetta responded and passed her some de-caff.

"Thanks." she sipped it carefully and put it down.

Valkyrie joined them as the table. "Sorry I was late. I called the ambulance."

"I did too." Alice sipped some more.

"What did Jace say?"

"OK, it started with 'surprise' than he told me that if they're mages they'd be fine."

"Just great, Dad isn't-"

"How do you know?"

"I've seen Fergus conjure a spark." Alice cringed her nose.

"Ew, Fergus? What about Carol and Crystal?"

"Trial and error every time."

She smiled and sipped some more, "Mom?"

"Doubt it." Valkyrie sighed, "We should go back."

"Is Skulduggery here?"

She shook her head, "I'll call Fletcher to pick us up." Valkyrie called him and he teleported them back to the Sanctuary.

"Now, if you don't mind I'm going back." He grinned and popped out.

"So, what about Jace?" Alice asked, "What do you think happened to him?"

"Probably got bored, or mad, and walked away."

"Do you think who ever hired him is extremely pissed?"

"Hell yes." she smiled and frowned, "Vendetta, I thought you were sick."

"I _was_ but now I'm not. Cheers."

Valkyrie's smile dropped and sat at a nearby bench, nesting her chin in her hands. "I'm sure they'll be fine, Val."

"And if they're not?"

"I'm almost fifteen, I can practically drive." Alice raised her hands in exasperation, "Look, we'll be fine with or without, I mean I practically live with you guys now."

"What would Gordon think?"

"I doubt he's had a conversation with them in over two decades. We just got to hope." Valkyrie looked up at her sister and the smile returned. "Besides, don't we have Ancients' blood coursing through this family's veins?"

"Yes, but only on out dads side."

"Oh." not thinking of anything else to say, Alice sits beside her sister.

"OK, while you guys sulk over nothing, I'm going to find Rife."

"_Over nothing_? Vendetta, our parents lives are at stake."

"You've put them in worst danger before what with the vampires, werewolves, Darquesse and zombie hordes-"

"Point being?" She asked, irritably.

"Fainting from a touch to the temple is nothing compared to Darquesse; they'll make it through, mages or not. Bye now." Vendetta waved and walked off.

"Zombie _hordes_?" Alice mocked, "Where was I?"

"With the toxic twins."

"And the award goes to…"

"Hey, either that or Beryl."

"Never mind."

_Will they be OK? Meh, I don't know - actually, I do, but you guys don't. last night I finished Playing with Fire, and out of all the 6 books it's on the bottom. I wish it wasn't but it's lacking bits and pieces of each genre (besides romance, which doesn't occur at all). Even though it's Sanguines' debut novel, it doesn't rock my only. For me, Sanguine is the only thing that makes it rock! I'm sorry Derek Landy but this book is not your best work._


	22. Oh, dear

_**Must read: Valkyrie and Skulduggery are not dating, OK?**_

**Oh, dear**

Valkyrie slung her arm over Alice. _Why now?_ she thought and sniffled. It seemed a forever memory…

The nurse found them in the waiting room, showing a pitied face. Alice didn't bother to listen and darted past and in the room, they just finished pulling the white sheet over Melissa Edgley's face, it was the same for Desmond Edgely across the hall. Valkyrie swore and hugged Alice tightly.

"I, I can't believe they're gone." Alice whispered, "It's all over."

"No, it's not." Valkyrie soothed, "We'll track down Dumort and bring justice, all right?"

She nodded, "OK, but what now?"

"I don't know, I really don't." sighed and brought her arm back, "I do know one thing though, we have to move on and go home."

"Were would I go- oh."

"Tomorrow we'll get this sorted out, OK?"

She nodded and stood up, "OK. Tomorrow."

They stood up, signed papers, got out and Skulduggery picked them up. "Can I do you anything?" he asked Valkyrie as he dropped them off.

"Tonight? Stay with me? OK?"

"Why?" he asked and stepped out.

"I need a company of my best friend." she smiled and hugged him.

He didn't respond, just locked the Coupe and walked to her house.

Alice got in first, Gordon stared at her, confused, "What happened?" that only made her eyes well in tears and tried to hug him, she wrapped her arms around herself, failing to achieve the hug.

"They're gone." she quietly said.

"Who's gone?" he asked.

"Mom and Dad." Valkyrie said after she entered, followed by Skulduggery.

"Oh, dear." Gordon muttered and the lights' blue glow disappeared.

"W-what is he doing?" Alice sighed and wiped away the tears.

"Mourning, I believe." Skulduggery murmured.

"Oh."

"Hey, hey, hey." Valkyrie said, "Like when the remnants attacked, fight now, mourn later. Gordon can do it because he's a chunk of pixels."

Alice nodded, "OK, OK. I think I'm going to bed."

"Good idea." Valkyrie hugged Alice and she slumped upstairs. Valkyrie fell into his arms and wailed, staining his jacket.

"Were you just being strong for her?" he asked and squeezed her.

Valkyrie nodded and pulled away, "Sorry."

He gently chuckled, "For what?"

"I made your shirt wet."

"I got plenty."

She smiled and wiped away her tears. Looking at him she said, "Now I know how you felt."

"It's quite hard, isn't it?" Skulduggery followed her to the couch.

"Very." she fell to his shoulder, "Do you still miss them?"

He sighed, "All the time."

Valkyrie frowned, his shoulder was not that comfy, so she sat up. "Perfect."

"May I ask you something?"

"Like what?"

"Aren't you gonna' tell Fergus and Beryl?"

She scowled, "They'll find out eventually." and looked through his eye sockets, "I should get to bed too."

He would've smiled, "I'll go then."

"Bye."

"See you." the door closed and she walked up the stairs to find Alice in her bed. She smiled and went to her guest room and fell asleep.


	23. early start

**Early start**

Valkyrie woke early to Alice's sobs down the hall. She sighed and shuffled to the room.

"You know," Alice said, "I never cried so hard before." she looked at her sister, who sat at the corner, "Have you?"

She smiled and slid closer to her, "Yes."

Alice wiped her stained cheeks and squinted at her sister, "_You_? My sister Valkyrie Cain has shed a tear after saving the world countless times?" she teased, failing with a smile.

"What? No, more like nineteen."

Alice giggled, "Seriously though."

"Alright." she bit her lip, thinking, "When I was fourteen Skulduggery and I were up against other worldly Gods-"

"The Faceless Ones?"

"The very same." Her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light, the moon's rays catching Alice's face. "So we were up against them, all of us really. Us and 3 Gods."

"Did you kill all of them?" she eagerly asked.

"I don't recall, actually." she frowned, "Can we get back?"

"Yeah."

"OK, while Fletch was closing the portal Skulduggery got caught up in the _pull_ of it."

"And?" she urged.

"I lost him for eleven months. Ghastly had to hold me back, or I would've get caught there with him." she half-laughed.

"Would that be a good thing?" Alice dumbly asked.

"If that had happened, than I don't know what could've happened."

"Oh." Alice hugged herself, "What time is it?"

"Six-fifteen, I thought it was way earlier, time to get ready." Alice sighed and got downstairs, making toast for breakfast. Valkyrie got changed and joined her sister in the kitchen, drinking some coffee. "Skul's gonna' be here soon, are you ready?"

She nodded quickly, "Yeah." a knock came from the door, "How soon exactly?"

Valkyrie silently chuckled and opened the door to Skulduggery. "So? Is everything sorted out? We don't need to be in work till later."

"OK, uh, no we haven't. I guess we'll pack up Alice's-" Alice huffed a hint, "Emera's, we'll pack Emera's stuff and she'll, I guess move in."

"That's what I hope." Alice agreed and waltzed out the door.

"I didn't know we had a let start today, Skul." Valkyrie whispered to him in the doorway.

"I made some arrangements."

"Ah."

**I didn't bother anymore with it, and for that I'm sorry (exams are like thongs, when you want it the least, it's always riding up your ass). Do you guys like Hellboy? Greatest comic ever! Do you no anyone who writes fanfics about them or does deviations? I LOVE ABE! I call him! And no, I will not write a fanfic about it, for my morbid hands are tied.**


	24. Chapter 24 no title today

They had trouble finding their way into the house, what with the cops and investigators. They said they couldn't come in, Skulduggery found a way around that.

Alice sighed as she passed her parents room, feeling a familiar lump in her throat. She walked to her room, rummaged through her closet and grunted. Valkyrie appeared at her door, leaning on the frame.

"Can't find something?" she asked.

"Luggage, they're not here, where are they?"

"I think they're in their room."

Alice scowled, "I really don't want to go in there."

"Yeah? Well, I'm not."

"Must I?"

Valkyrie dumbly nodded, "Yeah." Alice left the room and Valkyrie looked around it. This _was_ her room, where she shared the most precious memories- most of them involving Skulduggery. Now, now, it was filled with posters that covered the walls. Little dolls that only Alice would call 'action figures'. Vintage records from the 90's. She trailed her hands over picture frames and manga comics; Death Note, Soul Eater, Host Club, Fruits Basket, Vampire Academy- the list goes on. Though, in the middle a box set of books stood undamaged and clean, Gordon's. Valkyrie smiled at her sister's choices. Alice lugged three big suitcases in front of the door.

"Excuse me." she said and playfully shoved Valkyrie aside.

"What do you plan to bring?"

"Suitcase number one," she pointed to the blue one, "will carry everything Manga. Suitcase number two" pointing at the red one, "will be for my books, like, Gordon's, text books, sketchbooks-"

"You draw?"

"Yeah…?" Alice hugged her coiled sketchbooks and placed them in the case.

"Your clothes are going in the green one, I'm guessing?"

"I would think so, may I continue?"

"Right, sure." Valkyrie took one last glance and walked to kitchen, finding Skulduggery staring at the white and brown sugar.

"I never understood brown sugar." he murmured.

She smirked, "Is that supposed to make me laugh?"

He looked at her, "I was planning the perfect comment while you were up there."

"OK." she joined his side and stared at the two bags, "You know, I never understood that either." she grabbed the brown sugar and stared at the bag. "I'm in the mood for cake now."

"Huh." Alice shrieked upstairs and Skulduggery placed his hand over his revolver.

She stared at him, "Really? It's probably just Dad's _Kiss_ cardboard standies that fell on her or something."

"What?"

"Best not to ask." followed by Skulduggery, she ran upstairs to find Jace holding Alice in a headlock.

"Li'l tight there, dude." she muttered and tried to wriggle free.

"Damn it." Skulduggery mumbled behind Valkyrie. He whipped out his gun and pointed at Jace.

"I can give you some information that you need." as normal, the gun didn't waver, "about my employer. Although, it'd be a shame if she died."

"OK, Jace? Stop being mysterious and crap, all right?" He looked down at her. Alice shrugged and slammed her foot on his. Valkyrie took over and tackled him to the ground, cuffing him in the process. She hoisted him up and they made their way to the door. Alice stopped, "Aren't there cops an' stuff out there?"

"Oh, right." Valkyrie took out a sphere, the invisibility one and cranked the dial. They were hidden within the field and walked out, hovering away from mortals.

"I really hate this." Jace muttered.

**I'm growing a Hellboy fetish- not in the kinky way! No, hell no! It's one of those that makes you want to create yet another fanfic! You're probably thinking, "WTF? No, Skully you can't!" or you may be thinking, "Remembered what happened with Ghost Rider?"**

**It seems that I can only keep a story going for more than 10 chapters if it's SP related. So, I ask you, my loyal readers, should I write a weird hellboy, SP mash u? Or maybe an OC I've been working on, trying to find their way through the place? Please! I beg of you! Is it a good idea?**


	25. Chapter 25: my farewell

"You missed me, huh?" she murmured, a slck smile enveloped. She sat down in her leathery office chair, opening up a writing program.

She didn't know why she ever stopped. Her love for the dashing and seemingly sexy Skeleton-detective was at an all time high. _Oh crap. _She lied. Last time she checked, Ghastly just kicked the bucket and...well... things have been tense and dull of late. No matter though. Her heart brought her new places over these past few years.

Knuckles cracking, feet propped up, wireless gaming keyboard resting on her lap, she only had one thing on her mind. Yaoi. And good god, she had a huge drive for that stuff right now.

She glanced to her right, a big matte drawing tablet was beckoning to be drawn on. The sensation of swiping the black pen on the surface felt so smooth and soothing to the touch. She always preffered her craft as a more visual piece of work... Screw it, she abandoned the writer and plugged in the tablet. She didn't bear any ideas, but some will appear soon, it always does. A good moment passed before the digital handshake went through. Before anything else, she tapped the surface of the plastic.

Nothing. Damn

It was such a mish-and-a-half to reinstall and restart. She returned her attention the keyboard, opened up the writer and- oh my, what was she doing?

_Writing?_

Writing what?

Stumped due to missing ideas, lost inspirations, she opened up her home-away-from-home: _deviantART_.

Nothing new

Email?

Well, new follower on her ghostrider fanfic that was dropped.

She felt bad for these folks

She didn't take up writing anymore

Hell, English was her worst class.

She had no flow to her sentences, bloody awful grammar and simply lost that drive.

_And look at this writing, _She thought, looking back through here skulduggery fanfics, _I knew I was bad then, but now THIS bad, honestly, whhyyyy_. She only kept her dumb, shameful account to follow on more current fanfics of doctor who and transformers.

_And her characters_. Major 'sues' Vendetta Dare was, an out-going generic punk who was a shapesifter and necromancer and just...wow, okay.

Yet there was still a genuine feeling that left a mark on her. Vendetta, Reif, Mimi...all of them, were still her first characters, and each one was better than the last.

Later that summer, the girl got her first drawing tablet and forgot the silly notion of writing and hopped aboard the SS digital artist, leaving her fantasy detective world in search of something close to her. Something _alien-_

WOW OKAY

THATS ENOUGH

UGHHH

Hi there

Do you remember me? Originally darkandtwisted13?

Hi there guys...

I just wanted to say I'm sorry.

Sorry for abandoning you

scarring you with my awful writing, though you stuck around for that good year.

I want to say that I've moved on, and thank god I did

As much as I love the traditional writing-on-paper sensation, I much prefer drawing.

Some of you know I've migrated to deviantART under the user 0tt0maton

Oh boy, you're gunna be in shock if you ever do decide to check it out.

Don't get me wrong, writing was definitely that lil' spark that sent my mind into one of an artists thoughts

and I've made good friends off of this website

just wow

I miss those kinds words, even though I don't write, I always jump back to those reviews and swell up

I'm getting sappy now

but you get the point

So this is my "official" farewell


End file.
